• SERVICE

England and Wales Court of Appeal (Civil Div)

Eweida v British Airways Plc

Service - Discrimination in service - Alleged employer's policy puts employee to particular disadvantage - Reg 3 of Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 - Claimant-employee suspended from work for wearing cross outside uniform puts employee who is member of particular religious group to any particular disadvantage and would it amount to indirect discrimination?

Held, Regulation 3 of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 provides that provides: "a person ("A") discriminates against another person ("B") if- ... (b) A applies to B a provision, criterion or practice which he applies or would apply equally to persons not of the same religion or belief as B, but - (i) which puts or would put persons of the same religion or belief as B at a particular disadvantage. The employee had not suffered unlawful indirect discrimination

• PROPERTY

England and Wales Court of Appeal (Admin Div)

Fidler v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another

Property - Erection of House without requisite sanction from Planning Authority -House concealed for over four years behind shield of straw bales and tarpaulin - Notice issued by Planning Authority to demolish house - Challenge thereto - Whether notice issued by Planning Authority after four years valid

Held, the construction of the house without permission from Planning Authority had been concealed by the erection of straw bales and a tarpaulin which had been left in place for over four years after the completion of the house so that the local planning authority did not become aware of the house until after expiry of that four-year period. Therefore, the totality of building operations originally contemplated and intended to be carried out by the builder included the erection and removal of the straw bales, with the result that construction had not been substantially completed until the straw bales had been removed and the four-year period for enforcement had not begun to run until that date. Therefore, notice valid.