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Author Archive

Court of Appeal backs compulsory alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

Andrew Koffman
Head of Litigation

A recent Court of Appeal judgment confirmed for the first time that the court can now compel litigating parties to take part in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation, even if the parties have not agreed to do so between themselves.

Previously it had been understood, including by the trial judge in the latest case, that the law was as set out in a 2004 Court of Appeal case (Halsey v Milton Keynes General NHS Trust).  While the courts were able to encourage litigants to take part in ADR (strongly if necessary, with the right to impose costs penalties for unreasonable refusal), to compel them to do so would interfere with their basic right of access to the court to resolve disputes under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – which incidentally also applies to businesses in this context.

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Jenny Chapman

Trainee Solicitor

Jenny joined Bermans in April 2023 as a paralegal and is currently a Trainee Solicitor in our Asset Based Lending team based in Manchester.

She graduated with a Law Degree in 2021 and the LPC with Business and Management MSc in 2022 at Liverpool University. She also has previous experience in corporate law.

Jenny assists on a range of asset finance, invoice finance, and general corporate finance for lenders and financial houses.

Outside of work, Jenny likes to stay active being a keen runner, skier and gym go-er.


E: jenny.chapman@bermans.co.uk

T: 0161 393 7120

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Rate increases

Adrian Fryer

The Government has announced the employment law rate changes that come into force in April 2023.

From 1 April 2023:

  • National Living Wage for workers aged 23 and over increased to £10.42 per hour
  • For workers aged 21-22 the rate increased to £10.18 per hour
  • For workers aged 18-20 the rate increased to £7.49 per hour
  • For workers aged 16-17 and those on apprenticeships the rate increased to £5.28 per hour

From 2 April 2023 Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Shared Parental Pay, Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay all rose to a maximum of £172.48 per week.

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Is there really a risk that TUPE might be sailing off into the ‘sunset’?

Adrian Fryer

The Retained EU Law (Revocation & Reform) Bill, which is currently rumbling through the House of Lords, will lead to the removal of EU-derived secondary legislation at the end of this year unless it is specifically preserved – the so-called ‘sunsetting’ provisions. The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) is one of the significant pieces of employment legislation which would be vulnerable to removal.

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