The Grenfell fire tragedy led to the discovery that a large number of high-rise residential blocks of flats were covered with unsafe material. The problem cladding is aluminium composite material (ACM) and the government has advised that it should be removed from all buildings over 18 metres in height. Mortgage lenders began to require assurances …
Continue reading “Cladding – EWS1 certificates”
D was sentenced to a three-year community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement of 30 days; and ordered to undergo six months of alcohol treatment. He had been convicted of wounding with intent. The AG successfully appealed on the basis the sentence was unduly lenient as it lacked any punitive element. If the court makes …
Continue reading “Sentencing – punishment”
Hot off the press is the SRA’s risk outlook for 2020/21. We will look at it in more detail in the new year but conveyancers should be aware that the focus is on them again in relation to AML and risk. The SRA points out that the number of money laundering matters that they are …
Continue reading “SRA risk outlook – conveyancers vulnerable”
On 21 November 2020 (yes, a Saturday) the Housing Secretary announced that the EWS1 forms will no longer be needed for buildings without cladding. The government states that this will clear the way for up to nearly 450,000 flat owners to sell, move or remortgage their homes. The government has said that it will make …
Continue reading “EWS1 certificates – new announcement”
2020 has been a year like no other, so it feels appropriate to do a short round up of some of the biggest issues that we have covered in the last year. Feel free to comment on ‘Ask the Editor’ if we have missed anything! Money laundering and cybercrime risks were the topics that we …
An application for an extension of around 14 months to appeal a sentence following conviction for drugs offences was refused by the CA. Originally, the application for leave to appeal was apparently made late because of new facts raised by a financial investigation under POCA 2002. But at the hearing, the focus was on the …
Continue reading “Covid-19 – appeals”
Each month we consider conduct and practice issues relevant to busy practitioners. As the SRA has produced its one-year review of the transparency rules, this seems like an appropriate moment to remind firms of these obligations. It has been compulsory for SRA, CLC and other regulated firms to include costs and complaints information on their …
Continue reading “Transparency rules – one year on”
The new Sentencing Code is now in force as of 1 December 2020 and consolidates the wide-ranging sentencing procedural laws and provisions. It covers both adult and youth offending (including armed forces personnel) and applies to anyone convicted after that date. The Code simplifies the sentencing laws which have developed in a highly piecemeal fashion …
Continue reading “Procedure – Sentencing Code”
HMLR has updated PG 73: statements of truth to make it clear what to do if it contains errors and an important clarification regarding signatures. A statement of truth is a method of providing evidence in support of an application sent to HMLR. The need to provide evidence may arise in a variety of situations, …
Continue reading “HMLR – statements of truth”
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes Order) 1987 puts uses of land and buildings into various categories known as ‘use classes’. ‘Change of use’ can occur within the same use class or from one use class to another. Depending on the specifics of any proposed change of use, including any building work associated with …
Continue reading “Use classes – changes”