Politics. A foul place to work if you are a woman?
After numerous scandals of sexual harassment engulfed Hollywood, the UK Parliament is having its own #MeToo moment. Female Members of Parliament (MPs) have revealed the dark reality of their daily battles against sexism, bullying and discrimination, sharing their experiences in an attempt to encourage other women to speak out. HuffPost UK spoke to 40 women MPs of all parties across different...Read More
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2017 in Review: Aspiring attorney gets her real-life Prince Charming
On 27th November 2017, the much awaited news of Prince Harry’s engagement to Meghan Markle was announced. Ms Markle, an actor and writer, is best known for her role in US TV drama Suits as Rachel Zane, following her journey from paralegal to attorney. The couple are set to marry at Windsor next May and the one question immediately on everyone’s mind was – are we going to get an extra...Read More
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2017 in Review: Grenfell Tower, the invisible citizens
The event of 2017 that impacted upon me the most was the Grenfell Tower fire. 71 lives lost; including 18 children and one unborn baby. Another 70 with physical injuries; many more who suffered psychological harm. All Grenfell victims were Londoners – No discrimination in humanitarian response A horror of such immense proportions, that it united the country in a mixture of grief and...Read More
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2017 in Review: #MeToo, the revolution has begun
In 2017, I’ve closely followed the national and international stories about powerful male figures and their alleged involvement in sexual harassment. I’ve followed thousands of women from around the world tweeting the hashtag #MeToo to demonstrate the magnitude of sexual harassment. I’ve watched many stories of sexism and discrimination. These stories have suddenly changed their status from...Read More
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2017 in Review: Brexit and the ‘will of the people’
2017 has been a significant year for the UK as the country moves towards Brexit. Unfortunately, the Brexit process has brought out some of the worst aspects of the press in this country. Headlines from the Daily Mail such as ‘Enemies of the People’ in November last year, directed at Supreme Court Judges who had the temerity to ask Parliament to follow the law, have been followed this week by...Read More
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Transgender; it’s not just a label
Over the last few months there have been a number of stories in the press in relation to transgender issues; – Playboy featured its first transgender playmate, a successful model who has appeared in Italia Vogue and catwalk shows; – The Methodist Church appointed its first transgender minister; – A teacher was suspended for referring to a transgender boy as a girl; – A...Read More
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EU court rules for women
Sex discrimination at the police school? In the recent case of Ypourgos Ethnikis Pedias kai Thriskevmaton v. Kalliri, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) held that the requirement for candidates for the Greek police academy to be at least 1.70 meters tall amounted to indirect sex discrimination which could not be objectively justified. The ECJ is the EU’s highest legal authority, tasked with...Read More
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What is direct discrimination?
Section 13 of the Equality Act 2010 (EqA) says that “A person (A) discriminates against another (B) if, because of a protected characteristic, A treats B less favourably than A treats or would treat others.” But what is a protected characteristic? Age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity...Read More
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5 Key questions on Lasting Powers of Attorney answered
If disaster should strike and you are no longer in a position to look after your own affairs, having a lasting power of attorney (LPA) in place can help take away some of the stress and practical difficulties in managing finances and making decisions regarding you and your family’s future. Lasting Powers of Attorney are designed to be recognised by health care providers, financial...Read More
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7 Duties company directors cannot afford to ignore
In last month’s e alert we looked at how to set up a limited company. Once this has been done, it is necessary to ensure that the team leading the company understand their obligations and comply with their legal duties. Here we look at the definition of a director, their duties and the consequences of breaching those duties. Who is a company director? Before looking at a company director’s...Read More
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