Beware the Employment Law Apocalypse
In 1507, a human sacrifice took place on top of an extinct volcano in Mexico. For the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II, more commonly known as Montezuma, this was a necessary killing. It was the end of the...
View ArticleInternships
There was a much-trumpeted decision from the London Central Employment Tribunal last week in which an intern, Keri Hudson, was awarded the minimum wage for part of her placement at the news website, My...
View ArticleNot a super-injunction
In the recent kerfuffle about privacy, the word “super-injunction” has often been bandied about. However, almost none of the orders that have been discussed have actually been super-injunctions. Most...
View ArticleApportioning liability for discrimination
A difficulty that often arises in personal injury cases is how to divide up liability between the parties who are responsible for causing the injury. This has often resulted in some fiendishly...
View ArticleNo reasonable prospect of success 2
Very weak claims are bad for everybody. They clog up the tribunal system and generate costs for employers who have to defend them. Employment judges can protect employers by making the employee pay a...
View ArticleEmployment law issues at the News of the World
There has been a lot of discussion in the papers about what might happen if the employees of the News of the World are eventually dismissed on the grounds of redundancy (it has not happened yet – they...
View ArticleEmployment status for discrimination claims
The Supreme Court has now given judgment in Jivraj v Hashwani, a case which I first discussed here. The decision of the Court of Appeal has been overturned, which comes as no great surprise. It may be...
View ArticleCaste discrimination
A couple was reported to have brought the first ever case of caste discrimination in the UK to the Birmingham Employment Tribunal last week. Well, this cannot quite be correct because caste...
View ArticleThe News of the World again
Last week, the House of Commons Culture Media and Sport Committee heard further evidence in its investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World. Jonathan Chapman, a former director of legal...
View ArticleEmployment law and magical realism
This is my last post on the blog before I head off to South America for a few months. Reflecting on my experience of employment law so far, I am reminded of how my view of reality has sometimes been...
View ArticleShared Parental Leave is Good for Everybody but Sexist Employers
Earlier this week, there was a rare piece of good news from this employee-unfriendly government. New legislation came into force allowing parents to take shared leave after a child is born, although it...
View ArticleWhatever the Media might Tell You, the Law is not a Lottery
Andrew Mitchell undoubtedly swore, at least to himself, during the “Plebgate” incident, and he probably swore to himself again when he lost his libel claim against the Sun. But how sure can we really...
View ArticleSepp Blatter and the Bastard Defence
So, the World Cup draw has been made and England will be facing France, Colombia and Mexico. The group matches will take place in Montreal and Moncton, New Brunswick, and will be played on artificial...
View ArticleContract Law on the Buses
I recently received a letter telling me that a tunnel is going to be built under my property, in order to facilitate a new Crossrail link. This could have become a source of worry but, in fact, I was...
View ArticleChristmas Quiz
This has nothing to do with employment law but I thought it would be fun. You can download my fiendishly difficult Christmas quiz here, along with an answer sheet, which you will also need. A full...
View ArticleEmployment Tribunal Fees and What You Can Do About Them
Despite the frivolities of office life as Christmas approaches, the last week has had a bleak edge for many in the employment law world, after judgment was handed down in the judicial review brought by...
View ArticleWhat the Metropolitan Police can Learn from Babylon
The latest Channel 4 series from Peep Show writers, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, is Babylon, a fast moving drama about the Metropolitan Police. In an explosive final episode, the newly appointed...
View ArticleZen and the Art of Fighting Discrimination
The chances are the you have made a New Year’s resolution or two, perhaps to start going to the gym or to stop smoking. If so, I wish you the best of luck but beware, because they are not that easy to...
View ArticleChed Evans: Why is the FA doing Sweet FA?
Imagine the following situation. A doctor is found guilty of raping a woman in a hotel room but a hospital decides that it is prepared to give him a job when he is released from prison. There is a huge...
View ArticleChristmas Quiz Answers
I hope that everybody enjoyed my Christmas quiz. A list of answers to all of the questions can be downloaded here and a complete solution is available here. The post Christmas Quiz Answers appeared...
View ArticleParis, Freedom and Hate Speech
The cold-blooded terrorist attacks in France have resulted in so many tales of courage that it is impossible to give appropriate weight to them all. At the Hyper Cacher supermarket, where four Jews...
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