UK Law Weekly

A divorce application in Scotland sits alongside a maintenance application in England. In this case the Supreme Court has to decide how feasible this is in line with relevant EU law. Music from bensound.com

After a confiscation order was made against a benefits fraudster questions were raised about its validity. The court had not given other persons with an interest in the relevant property a chance to make their own representations. In this appeal the Supreme Court was asked to make a close analysis of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Music from bensound.com

How time limits on claims work can often feel very technical but they have a significant impact when there is money on the line. This case looks at a claim made by a bingo company amid questions about how VAT should be charged on games. We also look at what the decision means for the way HMRC operates as well as bingo in the time of coronavirus. Music from bensound.com

As the research to find a vaccine for the coronavirus continues in earnest the case in this episode involves a patent that might hold part of the answer. The dispute gets to the heart of patent law and the balance that has to be struck between protecting the rights of inventors while at the same time encouraging new and continued innovation. We also discuss how this operates in practice in the pha...

The relationship between siblings is an important part of family life and this case considers the human rights implications of that relationship in the context of children's hearings in Scotland. Does an older brother or sister have a right to their say in what should happen to their sibling? Music from bensound.com

In the building industry speed and efficiency are the most important factors when it comes to dispute resolution. That is put to the test in this case where an electrical contractor enters into insolvency and the liquidator is left to sort out the financial mess left behind. Music from bensound.com

Most consumers don't think twice about what happens behind the scenes when they use their card to pay for something in a supermarket but for the stores themselves this is a point of contention. In this case they take on the card companies for alleged anti-competitive practices and the Supreme Court is offered the opportunity to consider a wide range of issues. In this episode we also have a broade...

A defamation case raises much wider questions about the capability of the judiciary in England and Wales. Music from bensound.com

Fowler is a seabed diver who lives in South Africa but works in the UK. HMRC wanted him to pay income tax here but Fowler relied on an interesting provision in the law to resist. In this episode we explore how judicial interpretation can change in response to legislation. Music from bensound.com

The case in this week's episode is all about supermarket ATMs and how they are taxed. Do they belong to the banks because they operate the machines or do they belong to the supermarkets because they are on their property? Music from bensound.com

How do you define what is and isn't a building? That is the question facing the Supreme Court this week and we also take the opportunity to analyse the question in the context of listed buildings. Music from bensound.com

Irish republican Gerry Adams was subject to an interim custody order in 1973 but now seeks to challenge it on the basis of new evidence that suggests the order should have been signed by the Secretary of State. We discuss whether this is a mere technicality and what consequences the decision of the Supreme Court will have. Music from bensound.com

When Dr. Duval found out that her landlord had granted her neighbour a licence to carry out structural work to their shared property she was not happy and brought a claim for breach of the lease. On the one hand the agreement doesn't specifically ban the granting of a licence but it does seem to impinge on the rights of the lessee. After finding out on which side the Supreme Court came down on we...

AM opposed the deportation order made against him because he would not be able to get treatment for HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe. Originally his application was based on a breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to private life) but a new case from Europe opened up the possibility of success under Article 3 (prohibition on torture). In this episode the Supreme Court breaks down...

Boycotts, divestment and sanctions have long been a form of ethical investment but is this type of protest allowed when it is carried out by local authority pension schemes? On the one hand it potentially conflicts with government policy but these funds are ultimately run for the benefit of employees. In this episode we also discuss the BDS campaign in relation to Israel. Music from bensound.com

When it became apparent that VAT should be charged on individually negotiated mail services Zipvit Ltd tried to claim a deduction even though VAT was not signalled on the invoice. HMRC opposed this and the question of EU law was brought before the Supreme Court. In this episode we also discuss the preliminary reference procedure and how it relates to UK sovereignty post-Brexit. Music from bensound...

In her last case as a Justice of the Supreme Court Lady Hale has one final opportunity to correct a mistake that she made twenty years prior. Music from bensound.com

In the second part of a miniseries on vicarious liability we look at the nature of the employmenr relationship itself. Dr. Bates was alleged to have committed acts of sexual assault against a number of prospective employees at Barclays Bank but the doctor worked as an independent contractor so should he be liable? Music from bensound.com

Morrisons employee Andrew Skelton held a grudge against his employer and decided to illegally release payroll information onto the web. He was jailed but the victims of his crime brought a case against the supermarket chain in a bid to try and claim compensation. In this judgment the Supreme Court had to decide whether Morrisons could be liable for the illegal actions of their employee. Music from...

When it transpired that a ship had been sunk on purpose the insurers went after the bank that had refinanced the vessel in a bid to get their money back. One of the questions asked was whether the English courts had jurisdiction over this case and that required the Supreme Court to compare contractual rights with the rules under EU legislation. Music from bensound.com

El Shafee Elsheikh was involved with ISIS and is alleged to have been involved in the beheadings of 27 citizens from the UK and the US. The UK provided legal assistance to the Americans but broke with convention by not requiring assurances that the evidence would not be used as part of a prosecution that could lead to the imposition of the death penalty. In this judicial review claim that decision...

MS had been abused by relatives and made to work for free but the authorities decided that he had not been the victim of trafficking and planned to deport him. In this case the Supreme Court had to decide whether the Immigration Tribunal was permitted to come to a different conclusion about MS's circumstances based on the facts at hand. We also discuss how the UK's international obligations marry...

When Copeland was arrested for possessing small amounts of an explosive substance he wasn't a political extremist or a terrorist but just a young man who has a keen interest in bombs. In this case the Supreme Court decides whether that is enough of a defence and we discuss how fit for purpose the law in this area really is. Music from bensound.com

DN was detained under immigration law for committing serious offences that could have led to his eventual deportation back to Rwanda. However when the basis for his detention was held to be unlawful everything was thrown up in the air and it was up to the Supreme Court to deal with the fallout. In this episode we also examine the concept of res judicata and the second actor theory as we navigate t...

In this bonus episode we break down the recently passed Coronavirus Act 2020 and analyse some of the key provisions.