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Employment law brief: 16 January 2026

240108
In the month of self-improvement, Ian Smith tackles capability dismissals, notice period extensions, the meaning of ‘employer’ & a novus actus
  • The Court of Appeal in Bailey v Stonewall Equality Ltd clarified the limits of third-party liability under s 111, Equality Act 2010, holding that Stonewall’s actions were not a sufficient legal cause of Garden Court Chambers’ investigation.
  • Recent Employment Appeal Tribunal decisions underline practical pitfalls for employers, including when notice can be extended by agreement, the need to consider all available evidence before dismissing for incapability, and the importance of timing and process in unfair dismissal cases.

In the month that saw the final passage of the Employment Rights Act 2025—after a remarkable exercise in legislative ping-pong between the Commons/the government and the Lords, resulting in a climb-down on a day-one right for unfair dismissal and its replacement with a much simpler six- month qualifying period—the headline case in the press was Bailey v Stonewall Equality Ltd and others [2025] EWCA Civ 1662, which

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—Ruth Clare

Freeths—Ruth Clare

National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Partner appointed head of family team

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return

NEWS
Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
A Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruling has reopened debate on the availability of ‘user damages’ in competition claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Edward Nyman of Hausfeld explains how the CAT allowed Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen’s alternative damages case against Meta to proceed, rejecting arguments that such damages are barred in competition law
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