Insights: Legal Updates - November 2011

A former magistrates’ court clerk has become the first person to be sentenced under the Bribery Act 2010 and the Courts have sent a clear message. On 18 November 2011, Munir Patel, who admitted that he was paid £500 not to record a driving offence, was given a three year sentence under the Bribery Act […]

The Localism Bill received Royal Assent on 16 November 2011. The Act, which many commentators are claiming is the most important piece of planning legislation in a generation, includes measures for major reform of the planning system in England. The Act starts the process of decentralisation, which, it is intended, will shift power away from […]

From 1 October 2011, water and sewerage companies in England and Wales took over responsibility for “private sewers” and “lateral drains”. In order to appreciate the effect this is going to have on property owners, we first need to understand what sewers and lateral drains are. A sewer is a pipe that carries waste water […]

In December last year, we reported on a court case (Good Harvest v Centaur Services Limited) that threw into doubt the value of an AGA given by the outgoing tenant’s guarantor. However, a recent decision (Victoria Street v House of Fraser) has turned the tide back in favour of landlords. First, let’s take a step […]