Introduction Freedom is a beautiful thing. When exercised by a worker, it gives him/her the benefit of freedom of contract. It enables the worker to choose (or at least express his/her will in negotiating) the terms governing that contract. However, of equal, if not more, importance are the more frequently overlooked freedoms to contract and to quit a … Continue reading The Evolving Restraint of Trade Doctrine: Tillman v Egon Zehnder Ltd. – David Cabrelli
Academic Freedom – by Eric Barendt
I was granted a year’s study leave to work on my book, Academic Freedom and the Law, spending time in Germany and the United States. Nobody at UCL questioned whether it was appropriate for a professor of media law to write on academic freedom, although there is no close link between these subjects. Earlier in … Continue reading Academic Freedom – by Eric Barendt
Labour Migration, Skills and Discrimination – by Dáire McCormack-George
Introduction In an earlier entry on this blog, Natalie Sedacca and Avril Sharp outlined the horrifying circumstances in which many domestic workers, as victims of human trafficking or ‘modern slavery’, often find themselves. My concern, in this entry, is with something more basic. That is domestic workers’ and other migrant workers' immigration status. Labour migration schemes tend … Continue reading Labour Migration, Skills and Discrimination – by Dáire McCormack-George
Dignity, not destitution: the impact of differential rights to work for migrant domestic workers – by Natalie Sedacca and Avril Sharp
This blog post presents some key findings and initial analysis of an empirical study on the impact of differential permission to work on migrant domestic workers in the UK. The study sought to address the effect of the denial of permission to work to some domestic workers who have been identified as potential victims of … Continue reading Dignity, not destitution: the impact of differential rights to work for migrant domestic workers – by Natalie Sedacca and Avril Sharp
Protecting the right to strike in the ILO and the European Court of Human Rights: the significance of Appn No 44873/09 Ognevenko v Russia – Tonia Novitz
Freedom of association is a foundational principle of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Not only is this principle recognised in the ILO Constitution, first established as Part XIII of the Treaty of Versailles, a century ago; but it is integral to the tripartite structure of the ILO which relies on collective worker and employer organisations … Continue reading Protecting the right to strike in the ILO and the European Court of Human Rights: the significance of Appn No 44873/09 Ognevenko v Russia – Tonia Novitz
A missing layer of the cake with the controversial icing – Hugh Collins
Last October, the President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale, gave a lecture in the University of Oxford on the topic of ‘Equality and Human Rights’. After her eloquent and pellucid lecture, Lady Hale agreed to take a few questions from the large and appreciative audience. Following a few polite queries that produced thoughtful responses, … Continue reading A missing layer of the cake with the controversial icing – Hugh Collins
Philosophical Foundations of Labour Law Book Launch – Karon Monaghan
On Wednesday the 20th of February we launched the book Philosophical Foundations of Labour Law (Hugh Collins, Gillian Lester and Virginia Mantouvalou eds, OUP, 2018) at the Faculty of Laws, UCL. The event was introduced by Professor Dame Hazel Genn (former Dean, UCL Laws). The introductory remarks were followed by speeches by Professor Keith Ewing (KCL), Professor … Continue reading Philosophical Foundations of Labour Law Book Launch – Karon Monaghan
Receding Confidence in Trust and Confidence? James-Bowen v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis – David Cabrelli
Introduction Although given the moniker of a ‘portmanteau obligation’ by Lord Nicholls in Malik v BCCI ([1998] AC 20 at 35A), there are undoubtedly limits to the operational capacity of the implied term and mutual trust and confidence in employment law. The decision of the Supreme Court in James-Bowen v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis ([2018] … Continue reading Receding Confidence in Trust and Confidence? James-Bowen v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis – David Cabrelli
Work, Human Rights, and Extreme Poverty in the UK: On the Occasion of the Visit of the UN Special Rapporteur, Philip Alston – Virginia Mantouvalou
The UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and leading authority globally in international human rights law, Professor Philip Alston of NYU, published a statement on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, following his official visit in the United Kingdom in November 2018, with a full Report to follow in spring 2019. Alston’s statement on poverty-related policies … Continue reading Work, Human Rights, and Extreme Poverty in the UK: On the Occasion of the Visit of the UN Special Rapporteur, Philip Alston – Virginia Mantouvalou
Lift the Ban: A Right to Work for Asylum Seekers – Emmeline Plews
Last month Refugee Action published a report setting out the case for reforming the current restrictions on asylum seekers’ freedom to work in the UK. Supported by a coalition of over 80 NGOs, think tanks, businesses and faith groups, the ‘Lift the Ban’ campaign proposes two specific legislative changes. First, to give the right to … Continue reading Lift the Ban: A Right to Work for Asylum Seekers – Emmeline Plews
