LAW GUIDNESS AND FREE CONSULTANCY NEWS

Employment Law Information from a single source

2009-10-28T00:52:00.000-07:00

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) – formerly the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) – has improved, updated and placed all the employment content from its website on to the BusinessLink website (Opens new window) Business Link is a free business advice and support service offering practical advice for businesses on a wide range of subjects.

By visiting the site you can access free-to-use, legally compliant, guidance, online tools, proforma letters and agreement forms, to help better understand and manage both your responsibilities as employers and also your responsibilities to your employees.

The website’s range of guidance and tools have been designed, developed and tested with businesses to ensure these meet their needs. Areas covered include written statements and contracts, National Minimum Wage, working time regulations, flexible working, maternity, paternity and adoption, holiday/annual leave and redundancy.

The interactive site is an excellent resource for easily accessible, clear, reliable and trustworthy advice that can help you save time and money through reductions in record keeping and duplication of paperwork. You can also sign up on the website for email alerts to tell you about significant changes to the law.

Recent statistics have shown a doubling in use of the site between the period January 2008 and January 2009 and feedback from businesses that have used it has been positive. The New Employee Tool was short listed for the Guardian GC Business Award 2009 and was highly commended in its category for providing an outstanding improvement in service delivery to the business community.

The Department is continuing to work on improving the content and the site more generally. If you are interested in helping to test new guidance as it is developed or you have any suggestions for enhancing the site please email the Employment Law Guidance Programme team

source : hmrc.gov.uk

Cosmic Law - Guidance

2009-10-28T00:49:00.000-07:00

Throughout recorded history, most humans have been focused on the
material world, developing means of mass physical comfort on one hand,
and mass physical destruction on the other. These objectives, of course,
produced governmental, educational, social and even religious
institutions that enhanced, or at least acquiesced to the mass
consciousness.

The learned lessons of external world history are now helping to fuel a
balance with the eternal "knowing" of the internal world. In other
words, human maturity is occuring as the materially-focused intellect is
being integrated by the wisdom of the multi-dimensional Spirit-born
soul.

Unification of the nonmaterial soul and material body finally creates a
"whole" human being, and this, in turn, leads to establishing holistic
institutions, including government, that move beyond the darkness of the
past. The new consciousness sees truth in a sacred teaching;
(Humans) "cannot live by bread alone."

The human intellect, without sustenance and wisdom from the soul, is
devoid of purpose aside from a mundane world of material existence that
ends in "death".

As the shifting material world consciousnes is infused with nonmaterial
reality, the maturing intellect becomes aware of Cosmic Laws and
reflects "cosmic consciousness". Primarily, this is the realization
that the soul-incarnate is immortal with Godlike powers in the endless
"Frontier of Infinity".

In the soul's journey into the density of the human experience, the
Cosmic Law of Guidance is followed to reach its goal of creating "Heaven
on Earth", utilizing some empowering resources;

Meditation - contact with the Source-Of All-That-Is can be instantaneous,
with relaxed focus determining receptivity and understanding.
Prayer - assistance from Angelic realms, Spirit Beings of Light, Ascended
Masters, and the Source-Of-All-That-Is may be requested (see Law of Petition).
Heart - the love center where conscience, the faculty of determining
right and wrong, are connected to all things for direction.
Intuition - being aware of immediate cognition, or "knowing" without
rational processes, that includes soul wisdom and all levels of universe
consciousness.

The bottom line is, harmony with the Cosmic Law of Guidance makes
feasible peace and goodwill on Earth, and an AUTHENTIC CONSTITUTION
for government helps facilitate it.

source : globalvisions.org

Child Support

2009-10-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

From July 2008 a new formula came into place to calculate a parent's child support contributions.

Many variables can affect a child support calculation and you can contact the Child Support Agency directly to obtain specific advice regarding your entitlement or obligation to pay child support. www.csa.gov.au. Sometimes you may need your own legal advice about your child support situation.

Private child support agreements can also be reached between the parties either as a "binding agreement" or a "limited agreement". These agreements can outline lump sum payments, payments less than the formulae amount or payments other than cash payments. At The Family Law Centre we can assist you in ensuring that such private agreements are prepared correctly and registered with the child support agency.

Sometimes you may disagree with the child support assessment and we can assist you to understand if and how you can vary or object to the assessment.

source :thefamilylawcentre.com

Fire safety law and guidance documents for business

2009-10-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) came into effect in October 2006 and replaced over 70 pieces of fire safety law.
The FSO applies to all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including the common parts of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The law applies to you if you are:

responsible for business premises
an employer or self-employed with business premises
responsible for a part of a dwelling where that part is solely used for business purposes
a charity or voluntary organisation
a contractor with a degree of control over any premises
providing accommodation for paying guests

Under the FSO, the responsible person must carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement and maintain a fire management plan. Further information on what you need to do when carrying out a risk assessment is available in the 5-step fire risk assessment checklist below.
In addition, more detailed advice and guidance on the implementation of a fire risk management plan can be found in the series of guidance documents available below or on the Fire Gateway website (see link on right). The more technical guidance documents have been produced with specific types of business premises in mind.
If, having completed a fire risk assessment, you need more practical advice or information, you local Fire and Rescue Authority may be able to help. You may feel more comfortable employing a fire safety specialist to help you. Companies providing fire safety services are listed in local directories. Details of companies which are members of a registered scheme are available, for example on the Institution of Fire Engineers website: www.ife.org.uk/frr (external link). Alternatively you may be able to ask your insurer for a recommendation.
If you require information in Welsh please visit: www.cymru.gov.uk/tan / www.wales.gov.uk/fire (external links).

source : communities.gov.uk

Bard News for Jude Law

2009-10-27T01:34:00.001-07:00

H1N1 Martial Law?

2009-10-27T01:33:00.003-07:00

CNN news on Law of Attraction Oprah Winfrey Rhonda Byrne

2009-10-27T01:33:00.001-07:00

Great Plains Dynamics GP Consultant News: Fixed Assets

2009-10-27T01:31:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Great Plains functional and technical consulting, ERP implementation, initial modules setup, data migration, integration and conversion, GP custom programming and reports design. In this small publication we would like to come through practical steps in implementing Fixed Assets module for GP Dynamics:

1. Depreciation Books. You can have as many books as required by you fiscal and managerial reporting. Only one book, obviously posts depreciation transactions to General Ledger module.

2. Depreciation Methods. For Book-Class, Book-Fixed Asset ID you can define the following depreciation formulas: Straight Line Original or Remaining Life, 150%, 175%, 200% DB (or Declining Balance), SOY Digits, and others. Please note, that DB could be set to the percentage desired

3. Purchasing Fixed Asset Item. There are two options - one is in Accounts Receivable and the second in Purchase Order Processing. In both cases the link is Fixed Assets Account - Fixed Assets Purchasing Posting Account defined in the window with the same name. If you are purchasing your inventory items through POP (or even Dynamics GP Business Portal Requisition Management), we recommend you to use method of Post POP through to FA, here you can either check the account or if item line is marked as Capital Item. In this case your inventory item doesn't go to your inventory control module, but instead it turns to show up as Capital Item in FA module

4. FA transfer. You can transfer your FA items between two locations or physical locations. Location could be your department, where your people sit in several buildings, or physical location, which could be specific building, office or manufacturing facility

5. FA retirement. This form allows you to retire FA item with the options to sell it with cash proceeds, or simply scrap it. Please note that retire could be undone.

6. Mass Actions. You can do mass retire, mass change or mass transfer

7. User Defined Fields. If you think you need to group your Fixed Assets Items by additional parameter, which could be used in let's say Crystal Reports or SQL Server Reporting Services, you have up to fifteen user defined fields in your disposition

8. FA Integration. Fixed Assets Module has its own integration tool. However part of FA objects are also supported via eConnect. Please check with us on details

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum http://www.albaspectrum.com help@albaspectrum.com 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, serving Great Plains USA and Canada nationwide. Local service in Chicago, Houston, Dallas, San Diego. Please visit our information portal Pegas Planet: http://www.pegasplanet.com . If you need custom programming for GP, we are happy to help you with Dexterity, eConnect, VBA/Modifier, SQL Stored Procedures, Crystal Reports. We also provide instant support to new and existing clients via web sessions for the customers in CA, IL, WI, NY, FL, IN, MI, TX, GA, NE, NM, AI, NC, SC, OR, WA, DC, DE, PA, VI, AZ, LA

SOURCE BY :software.ivertech.com

For instance, local area traffic management New Zealand has emerged as very good business opportunity for kea-ltd. In this context, company has remarkably established itself in the traffic engineering services New Zealand.

2009-10-27T01:29:00.000-07:00

July 18, 2009 -- Whenever, you use the term like Land Development Auckland or land surveying firm New Zealand; the first name appear into your mind is Kea-ltd.co.nz. Basically, these entire activities are integral part of landscape architecture. It includes the planning, management, design, rehabilitation and preservation of the land and constructions. Thus, in the civil engineering consultancy New Zealand and rest of the world, such experts are known as landscape architects.

All aspiring consultants must know that the job is not so easy. It deals with multiple disciplines viz. science, technology, art, engineering, philosophy, social science, history and politics. Planning corporate offices, creating public parks, planning highways and bridges, historic and tourist landscapes, creating forests, reclamation and management of the degraded landscapes like mines, et cetera are some sample works of landscape architects. Such experts have crucial role in decision making positions like supervising the contracts of construction work and preparing applications for capital or revenue funding grants.

Thus, most of the time, they spend in preparing models, plans, designs and cost estimates. Rest of the time, they spend in either attending meetings with clients or at the site. Undoubtedly, they are more inclined towards creativity. Besides creative vision, they must be nature lovers, have artistic talent and analytical skills. As a prudent service provider, kea-ltd makes sure that all its experts have good command over all required qualities. Company also ensures that its experts have excellent writing skills and an articulate way of expressing their thoughts. Sometimes, new consultants lack somewhere in the knowledge of software then the company itself offers CAD software training.

Ideally, qualification for the entry level consultant position is a bachelor degree. But in certain cases, company prefers those applicants who have completed their internship. Company has realized that especially in rural areas, there are huge business opportunity and hence have focused itself in those zones. Apart from the focus on rural regions, company is trying to recognize other domains as well where it could do maximum business.

For instance, local area traffic management New Zealand has emerged as very good business opportunity for kea-ltd. In this context, company has remarkably established itself in the traffic engineering services New Zealand.

SOURCE BY :free-press-release.com

Police: Gang rape outside school dance lasted over two hours

2009-10-27T01:23:00.000-07:00

CNN) -- A California high school student who police said was gang raped in a two-and-a-half-hour assault outside a homecoming dance remained hospitalized in stable condition Monday, two days after she was flown from the attack scene in critical condition.

As of late Monday, two suspects had been arrested in the case and a third was being questioned.

"There is one individual in custody who has made some spontaneous statements that have led me to believe that he is culpable for what happened," Richmond police Lt. Johan Simon said.

Nineteen-year-old Manuel Ortega, described as a former student at the school, was arrested soon after he fled the scene and will face charges of rape, robbery and kidnapping, police said.

A 15-year-old was later arrested and charged with one count of felony sexual assault. A third teenager was being interviewed, according to Lt. Mark Gagan of the police department in Richmond, California.

"Based on witness statements and suspect statements, and also physical evidence, we know that she was raped by at least four suspects committing multiple sex acts," Gagan said.

Investigators said as many as 15 people, all males, stood around watching the assault, but did not call police or help the victim, a 15-year-old student at Richmond High School in suburban San Francisco."As people announced over time that this was going on, more people came to see, and some actually participated," Gagan said.

Authorities had interviewed the victim, and the search for other attackers and bystanders who watched and did not report the rape was in "full-court press," according to Gagan.

"We have checked Facebook and YouTube to try to find any revealing evidence," he said. "We're looking in particular to see if anyone posted any video of the incident."

Several other individuals were detained at the scene but not arrested, Simon said.

The attack occurred on school grounds as the annual homecoming dance was under way inside the school Saturday night, authorities said.The victim was found unconscious and "brutally assaulted" under a bench shortly before midnight Saturday, after police received a call from someone in the area who had overheard people at the assault scene "reminiscing about the incident," Gagan said.

"She ended up with those guys under her own will because she knew one of the boys who had gone to the high school before," Gagan said. "Right now, we're looking at toxicology reports to determine her blood-alcohol content and to determine if she was drugged."

According to authorities, the victim was flown to an area hospital in critical condition. She was in stable condition Monday, police said.

"This just gets worse and worse the more you dig into it," Gagan said. "It was like a horror movie after looking at the evidence. I can't believe not one person felt compelled to help her."

source by : cnn.com

Thelen Staffers' Suit Follows Partners to New Firms

2009-10-27T01:21:00.000-07:00

Thelen's former employees are using a novel legal argument in an $18 million suit against five firms that hired many of Thelen's partners, according to an opposition brief filed Friday.

The employees, represented by Los Angeles litigation boutique Blum Collins, argue the firms' hiring of the partners amounted to purchasing a portion of Thelen's business. Therefore, the firms are bound by the same obligations as an employer under the WARN Act. The defendant firms, meanwhile, argue that since there was no merger, they had no obligations to former Thelen staff.

That argument only raised more questions for the plaintiffs.

"My question is, does that mean the WARN Act doesn't apply to law firms?" said Blum Collins partner Craig Collins.

Wednesday will mark the one-year anniversary of Thelen's collapse. Hundreds of lawyers scattered to dozens of firms, and hundreds of employees were left jobless. Staffers were given 30 days' notice, not 60 as required under the WARN Act. The WARN Act portion of the claims is $6 million.

A similar case brought by former Brobeck employees, McCaffrey v Brobeck, failed a few years ago. In that case, the employees had been fired before Morgan, Lewis & Bockius acquired many of Brobeck's partners. But with Thelen, the employees lost their jobs after the firm collapsed and the partners scattered. The Thelen employees' attorneys at Blum Collins say this is a crucial distinction left unanswered by the judge in the Brobeck case. Typically an acquiring company is liable under the WARN Act for employees left behind.

The defendant firms, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe; DLA Piper; Nixon Peabody; Howrey and Morgan, Lewis, filed motions to dismiss the case in August. They argue Thelen dissolved and there simply was no acquisition or merger.

"Orrick believes the case was filed without a proper factual investigation, and the theory has absolutely no legal merit," said firm spokesman David Schaefer. "That's why we filed a motion to dismiss, and we are confident about the ultimate outcome of this case."

Morgan Lewis was a defendant in the Brobeck case, so it has some experience fighting off claims by former employees of defunct law firms. It denies there was any merger involving Thelen and points out in its motion to dismiss that the implication of a merger was much stronger in the Brobeck case than in this one, and still the judge rejected the claims.

"Neither Thelen's individual partners nor its individual employees were 'assets' to be 'purchased' by Morgan Lewis or anyone else," reads Morgan Lewis' motion.

The defendants question the plaintiffs' logic, wondering how the employees could be simultaneously employed by six firms, all with their own WARN Act obligations. But the employees argue that this is irrelevant: Defendants don't understand that "the WARN Act creates a constructive fiction that the acquiring firm 'employs' the selling firm's employees only for the purpose of assigning the duty to give WARN Act notice," the brief says.

Blum Collins is the firm that recently secured a $19 million settlement for employees in the Heller bankruptcy. Craig Collins said they decided not to pursue Thelen in bankruptcy court because the firm doesn't have any money and still owes its secured creditor $6 million.

"We think eventually there's going to be money in Thelen," Collins said. "We think eventually we are going to get it back from the partners. This seemed to be the quickest way to get money for the employees."

source by: news.nabou.com

Stable Pakistan a must for regional peace: Erdogan

2009-10-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD – Terming strong and stable Pakistan imperative for durable peace in the region, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday said that both Pakistan and Turkey could bring peace and stability to the entire region through greater cooperation.
Addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament, the Turkish Premier said, “As long as we are in solidarity and continue our historical ties not a single regional obstacle can come in the way of regional peace and stability.”
Besides members of the Parliament, the joint sitting was also attended by the services chiefs, diplomats and elite of the town.
Turkey and Pakistan, Erdogan said, are two influential and strong countries of the region and will together continue to endeavour to strengthen global peace.
The distinguished guest expressed confidence that Pakistan would surmount the challenge of terrorism, which was a common enemy of the entire humanity. “You are not alone in your campaign against terrorism and extremism,” he said adding that Turkey too had suffered heavily from terrorism.
“In this context, let me underline that both my government and the Turkish people stand by their Pakistani brothers and we are ready to help address all their needs to the best of our abilities.” Erdogan hoped that through national reconciliation and solidarity, Pakistan would leave behind its troublesome days.
Turkish Premier who spoke at length about the multifaceted historical ties that exist between the two countries, said Pakistan had always occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of Turkish government and its people.
He said Turkey had been a part of Friends of Democratic Pakistan group from the very beginning and always underlined the need to redress the issues confronting Pakistan, as it was key country to regional and global stability.
Erdogan urged all countries to fulfil pledges made at Tokyo donors’ conference on April 25 and said the group should ensure rapid implementation of projects in the areas of health and education.

“Cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey is not limited to bilateral ties but covers a much broader ground,” the Turkish Prime Minister said, adding that Pakistan had covered a lot of ground in terms of its relations with Afghanistan for the last two years. The tripartite - Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan - arrangement initiated by Ankara would further give boost to the existing relations and help remove misunderstandings between the two sides, he said.

source by :.nation.com

FM explanation on K-L Law holds no water: 'Q'

2009-10-27T01:17:00.000-07:00

LAHORE - PML-Q President Senator Ch Shujaat Hussain has said that no change has been made in the Kerry-Lugar Law by the US authorities and the explanation extended by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi holds no ground in the eye of the US administration.
After offering dua for the students and others killed in the Islamic University Islamabad, Ch Shujaat Hussain Friday stated that Senator Kerry during his visit to Pakistan met with the President, the Prime Minister and other officials, who were unable to get even a comma and full-stop changed in the Kerry Lugar Law.
The Kerry Lugar Law along with its explanatory note, he said, negatively impacts the security and sovereignty of Pakistan and PML-Q believes that aid under its clauses should be rejected.
He said no explanation has been given as to how the KL Law could continue in its present format with all the dangerous clauses attached especially for Pakistan nuclear programme.
Shujaat said PML-Q maintains that the US presence in the form of agencies is unacceptable and the government should explain about the presence of Americans near Kahuta.

He said whatever is happening in Pakistan has its origin in Afghanistan and US needs to plan an exit strategy for Afghanistan in order to establish peace in the region. “Pakistan Muslim League stands committed to supporting the military efforts to fight extremism and prays that the armed forces are successful in Rahe Nijaat operation. We are proud of the sacrifices given by the armed forces in this fight against extremism’ he added.

source by :nation.com.pk

Do you need help with your law degree?

2009-10-21T05:03:00.000-07:00

Are you finding that you don't have enough time to grasp new legal concepts? Do you feel like you're under too much pressure, and as a result, you're failing your law assignments?

Perhaps it's the opposite - you know how fierce competition is for law-related jobs in today's economic climate, and you need to do something to help you gain an edge over your peers?

Either way, some help from a barrister or solicitor will point you in the right direction, help you achieve the grades you need and remove the stress caused by the nature of your course.

We can provide you with this help in as little as three hours.

source:lawteacher.net

Fire safety law and guidance documents for business

2009-10-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) came into effect in October 2006 and replaced over 70 pieces of fire safety law.

The FSO applies to all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including the common parts of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The law applies to you if you are:

responsible for business premises
an employer or self-employed with business premises
responsible for a part of a dwelling where that part is solely used for business purposes
a charity or voluntary organisation
a contractor with a degree of control over any premises
providing accommodation for paying guests

In addition, more detailed advice and guidance on the implementation of a fire risk management plan can be found in the series of guidance documents available below or on the Fire Gateway website (see link on right). The more technical guidance documents have been produced with specific types of business premises in mind.

If, having completed a fire risk assessment, you need more practical advice or information, you local Fire and Rescue Authority may be able to help. You may feel more comfortable employing a fire safety specialist to help you. Companies providing fire safety services are listed in local directories. Details of companies which are members of a registered scheme are available, for example on the Institution of Fire Engineers website: www.ife.org.uk/frr (external link). Alternatively you may be able to ask your insurer for a recommendation.

If you require information in Welsh please visit: www.cymru.gov.uk/tan / www.wales.gov.uk/fire (external links).

SOURCE: communities.gov.uk

Revised evironmental law guidance published

2009-10-21T04:41:00.000-07:00

A revised version of the invaluable guidance Costing the Earth is now available on the Magistrates’ Association website at http://www.magistrates-association.org.uk/Earth

The guidance offers a reference and explanation to a wide range of environmental and sentencing questions. It uses 47 detailed case studies covering a wide range of environmental concerns from air pollution to wildlife.

Costing the Earth was first published in 2002 by the Magistrates’ Association in recognition of the increasing number and importance of these cases and lack of any available guidance. While essentially prepared to help sentencers and their legal advisers, other organisations have found the guidance extremely informative and helpful in preparation of cases. The MA is once again grateful to the original author Dr Paul Stookes, a solicitor-advocate and partner in the specialist law firm Richard Buxton Environmental and Law, for updating and amending the guidance. The MA is also grateful to the School of Law, University of Hertfordshire for its publishing support.

Nicola Stell, chairman of the MA’s Sentencing Policy and Practice Committee said ‘These offences are serious and magistrates are keen to play their part in effective punishment and deterrence, as well as in encouraging restoration of damage where that is possible. As magistrates deal with relatively few such offences this guidance will be of great assistance to the courts in arriving at sentences that are just and appropriate.’

SOURCE:.agreenerfestival.com