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Climate risk – consultation

October 2024 | Conveyancing

Property practitioners may feel that advising on climate risk should be outside the scope of the average conveyancing retainer and that there is little more to be said on the subject. But the Law Society has announced a consultation on ‘Climate risk and conveyancing’. The Law Society issued its guidance on client change in April …

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Disability discrimination – compromise agreement

October 2024 | Employment

The EAT has heard an interesting case regarding the interplay between a compromise agreement and a disability discrimination claim. The case summary states: ‘Summary Disability discrimination The Employment Tribunal (“ET”) struck out the claimant’s claims for disability discrimination (direct, indirect and disability related discrimination) on the basis that they were precluded by a compromise agreement …

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Lenders – SVR

October 2024 | Conveyancing

The HC has heard a case which should prompt conveyancing practitioners to read the judgment and review their standard mortgage reports. The case involved the taking over of now-defunct Northern Rock’s mortgage loan book following the collapse of the former during the 2008 financial crash. The judge summarised the position thus: ‘1. In the early …

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BSA – guidance

October 2024 | Conveyancing

The Construction Leadership Council has issued guidance for duty holders and accountable persons on the ‘golden thread’ requirements under the BSA 2022. The scope of the guidance is as follows: ‘The golden thread is a legal requirement for a higher-risk building (HRB) under the Building Safety Act 2022 and supporting secondary legislation. Guidance on the …

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Practice – IHT; chargeable events

October 2024 | Wills, probate and administration

HMRC has finally issued new simplified IHT forms for the formal reporting of chargeable events where IHT is payable on a trust or gift, replacing earlier forms. It has also issued related guidance. No longer does IHT100 need to be completed, along with additional forms and schedules for each chargeable event as before. Now, submission …

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Sentencing – mitigation

October 2024 | Crime

D appealed a sentence imposed for several Class A drug offences. She was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment, just a month after giving birth. For three of those offences, she was sentenced to 38 months for each (to run concurrently). She appealed on the basis that: Her role in the offences had been mischaracterised and …

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SRA – continuing competence

October 2024 | Conduct, practice and risk management

As the practising certificate renewal deadline looms, it seems an appropriate moment to remind SRA-regulated practitioners of the continuing competence requirements which apply to: solicitors, registered European lawyers or registered foreign lawyers who have a practising certificate or registration; in-house solicitors who have a practising certificate; a solicitor who is exempt from holding a practising …

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HMLR – PG 35

October 2024 | Conveyancing

HMLR has updated PG 35: corporate insolvency. Section 7.7 has been updated to confirm when HMLR will consider an application for cancellation of a restriction on a freehold title in favour of a dissolved management company: ‘7.7 Restrictions in favour of dissolved companies 7.7.4 Cancellation of the restriction Where the restriction is no longer required …

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Companies House – identification

October 2024 | Commercial

Law firms should be aware of changes to Companies House procedures regarding identification – they have produced a useful blog on authorised corporate service providers, which states: ‘Identity verification is an important part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. Under the act, Companies House will be required to verify the identity of anyone …

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