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Banned drivers to face tougher penalties

Drivers who cause death or serious injuries on the roads when they have been banned from driving will face long jail sentences.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling announced on 6 May that the law would be changed so that disqualified drivers will face up to ten years in prison if they cause death and up to four years’ imprisonment if they cause serious injuries.

Mr Grayling also announced that he planned to launch a full review of all driving offences and penalties, including reviewing offences committed by uninsured and unlicensed drivers.

He said: “I want to make our roads safer and ensure people who cause harm face tough penalties.

“Disqualified drivers should not be on our roads for good reason. Those who chose to defy a ban imposed by a court and go on to destroy innocent lives must face serious consequences for the terrible impact of their actions.”

The current maximum sentence faced by a driver who causes death while driving when disqualified is two years’ imprisonment and there is no specific offence of causing serious injury by driving while disqualified.

The changes to the law are expected to be implemented in early 2015 while the review of driving offences will be carried out over the next few months.

Flexible working change on way

Employers are reminded that all employees will have the right to request flexible working from this month.

At present, employers are legally required to “consider seriously” requests to work flexibly only from employees with a child aged 16 or under, a child with disabilities aged under 18 and employees looking after an adult dependant, such as an elderly parent.

The new measure will extend the right to request flexible working to all employees with 26 weeks’ service.

The new rules, which will come into force on 30 June 2014, do not give employees the right to work flexibly but employers will be required to deal with their requests to a change in a “reasonable” manner.

Guidance issued by employment relations service Acas says: “An employer should consider the request carefully looking at the benefits of the requested changes in working conditions for the employee and the business and weighing these against any adverse business impact of implementing the changes. Employers are under no statutory obligation to grant a request to work flexibly if it cannot be accommodated by the business.”

Reasons for rejecting a request to work flexible include:

  • any extra costs involved are unacceptable to the business
  • inability to reorganise work among existing staff
  • inability to recruit extra staff
  • detrimental effect on quality or performance
  • detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand.

Homebuyers urged to protect deposits

People buying a house together risk losing their investment if they do not seek legal advice first, according to the body that represents solicitors in England and Wales.

Co-habiting couples or two friends buying together have no protection of their initial investment when it comes to selling up and are not protected by law in the same way that married couples or civil partners are, the Law Society said on 23 May.

However, a solicitor can draw up a declaration of trust that clearly states what share of the property each person owns, as part of the conveyancing process. The society said that without such a document, each would have a right to half the property but no more.

Law Society president Nicholas Fluck said the fluctuating property market meant that more people were teaming up in order to afford a home, which could create problems.

He said: “As banks demand bigger deposits and house prices rise, the money at stake is considerable.

“Buying a home is a huge, expensive step, and of course it’s exciting, but before signing anything, make sure your deposit is ringfenced.

“No one can predict the future, but if you need to sell the house for any reason and move on, it’s better to come away with your fair share and avoid a messy legal dispute.”