Timing is Everything: new rules for Guilty Pleas
It is widely known that defendants in criminal cases receive credit for guilty pleas; changes announced this week have refocused attention on the rules which govern the amount of credit available. s.144 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 requires a court to take account of two factors: The stage at which the plea is given;…
An insight into Gambling and Betting Law
Gambling and betting are big business in the UK. According to figures published by the Gambling Commission in 2016, there are some 8,709 betting shops in Great Britain, employing around 104,896 people. A licensed industry of this scale is no different to any other in terms of having recognisable regulatory and licensing elements- but the…
The cost of Informants
According to figures revealed by the BBC, various police forces across the country have paid around £22m to informants over the last five years. Payments to ‘covert human intelligence sources,’ as they are known, were highest in the capital- with the Metropolitan Police paying £5,270,659 from 2011 to 2016. Police forces are not required to…
Record Levels of Prison Suicides In 2016
Chronic overcrowding and staff shortages have been blamed for prison suicides reaching an all-time high in 2016. The prison reform charity, the Howard League for Penal Reform, has reported 102 known suicides this year, which is the highest figure since records began in 1978 (when just 18 were recorded). The previous highest figure was 94…
New Personal Injury Legal Clinics Launched in Yorkshire
Ison Harrison is pleased to announce the arrival of 2 new drop-in Personal Injury legal clinics at our Castleford and Pontefract branches. Launching on 8th March and 10th March respectively, the Castleford and Pontefract PI clinics are the first legal clinics to be held at our new West Yorkshire branches. Both the Pontefract and Castleford…
Slater and Gordon Share Price Plummets
Slater and Gordon was the first law firm to be listed on a stock exchange when it became listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2007. The firm currently employees over 3,800 employees in the United Kingdom alone, however, on 1 March 2016, Slater and Gordon’s share value stood at an all-time low of AUS$0.33…
Employment Tribunal finds in favour of Starbucks employee on grounds of disability discrimination
Meseret Kumulchew brought a disability discrimination claim against her employer, Starbucks, after she had been accused of falsifying documents. Ms Kumulchew, who is dyslexic, worked as a supervisor in a Starbucks store located in Clapham, South London. Ms Kumulchew was responsible for logging and recording the temperatures of the refrigerators and water throughout her working…
New sentencing proposals announced by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales
On 11 February 2016, the Sentencing Council for England and Wales released a consultation paper on the reduction in sentence for a guilty plea together with new draft guidelines. These will apply to criminal cases covering both adult and youth offenders. The Courts accounting for a guilty plea upon the sentencing of an offender is…
Tax Changes for Buy to Let Landlords
Chancellor George Osborne has recently announced two very important changes to the buy-to-let property market. Firstly, from April this year buy-to-let properties and second home owners will face a 3% stamp duty surcharge. Secondly, as from April 2017 tax relief for buy-to-let mortgage interest payments will be moved to a fixed rate. The announcement has…
Why Leeds Is One of The Best Places to Live (As Voted By Us!)
There are many things that make Leeds great, but for us it’s about the people, the diverse vibrant culture and the social life. Safe to say, we’re proud to say we live here. Here’s a few things we love about Leeds, as voted for by various members of the Ison team: The Shops Emma Garfitt,…
Death Certificate Granted 42 Years After Lord Lucan’s Mysterious Disappearance
Following an application made by Lord Lucan’s son, George Bingham, the High Court ruled on Wednesday 3 February 2016 that a death certificate be issued for Lord Lucan following his disappearance under controversial circumstances in 1974. The High Court’s power to issue the death certificate derives under the Presumption of Death Act 2013, a relatively…
Tenancy Fraud Awareness Week 1 – 5 February 2016
This week the Leeds City Council has urged residents to report any suspicious housing matters as part of Tenancy Fraud Awareness week, which runs until 5 February. In line with the initiative, social landlords from across the Yorkshire and Humberside region have joined forces to blow the whistle on tenancy fraud and encourage locals to…
Nestlé fails to obtain trademark protection for the shape of KitKat in a dispute with Cadbury
On Wednesday 20 January 2016, the High Court ruled that Nestlé, who were seeking trademark protection of their well-known chocolate bar KitKat, were not able to trademark the shape of the same. The Court held that Nestlé had not promoted the shape of the chocolate bar as a selling point and that the wrapper that…
Proposed Changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax in 2016
In the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, the government announced proposals to make changes to the rules relating to the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax affecting the purchase of additional residential properties. The proposals are currently subject to consultation which is due to end on 1st February 2016 If approved the changes will…
The Ison Harrison Staff Christmas Party 2015 in Leeds
For our Christmas Party this year, the team headed to the Leeds Marriott Hotel for a night of festive food and dancing. We booked a high energy party band called Scream to fill the night with some great dance tunes and they didn’t disappoint. A special mention goes out to Gareth Naylor who had some rather questionable…
Ison Harrison Solicitors Advise on Mirfield Free Grammar School Case
A local school in Mirfield, which has been publicised in the Daily Mail and the Mirror following claims that Muslim pupils were forced to pray outside, has required the assistance and expertise of a top solicitor at our Leeds law firm to help the parents and children of those affected. Yunus Lunat, an employment law specialist…
The Great Ison Bake Off 2015
We’re all a bit partial to some sweet treats, and what better excuse for us to indulge than to create our very own “Great British Bake Off” at the Ison Harrison Leeds office. Officially named “The Great Ison Bake Off” we raised money for the Leeds Community Foundation and encouraged our legal team to show off their…
Leeds Law Firm Expands Footprint with Merger
At the start of September 2015, Ison Harrison merged with Castleford and Pontefract firm, Maurice Smiths. Maurice Smiths, that was established in 1933, and with staff of over 20 people, specialised in Residential and Commercial Conveyancing, Wills & Probate, Crime and Family Law. Having now merged with Ison Harrison, both offices are able to offer…