Certification Officer: forthcoming hearings

Published 18 November 2016
Last updated 27 September 2022 + show all updates

  1. Dawes v Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom: hearing adjourned

  2. Hearing listed: Dawes v RCN

  3. Hearing listed: Watkins v British Medical Association

  4. Date for a new hearing

  5. Certification Officer Hearing in the case of Hussain v CWU to be held on 15 December 2020

  6. Simpson v Unite the Union: rescheduled hearing date

  7. Kidd v MU -Adjourned

  8. new hearing dates

  9. update of page

  10. new hearing date

  11. new hearing date

  12. CO hearing – Hussain v CWU

  13. postponement of hearing

  14. Two new Certification Officer hearings listed: St John v Unite the Union on 7 January 2020; Hussain v CWU on 29 January 2020.

  15. New hearing added (Crew v Aegis the Union) and new date for Dinsdale v GMB (2)

  16. new hearing date

  17. Three new hearings added, Watkins v British Medical Association, Parlour v NASWUT and Dunham v Society of Radiographers

  18. new CO hearing

  19. Cancellation of hearing – Dosanjh v POA

  20. New Certification Officer hearings listed: – Dosanjh v POA and Oley & Others v Unite the Union

  21. new hearing date

  22. Hearing for McFadden v Unite the Union on 16 January 2019 cancelled

  23. McFadden v Unite the Union – hearing added

  24. Kelly v Musicians’ Union – hearing added

  25. Robinson v GMB – hearing added

  26. A new Certification Officer hearing has been listed – Lascelles v Prospect

  27. Blackledge v UCU – hearing listed

  28. Hussain v CWU – remedy hearing listed

  29. New Certification Officer Hearing

  30. Start time for Coyne & Brooks v Unite the Union (25 June) changed to 2:00pm and Thursday 28 June as an afternoon only hearing

  31. Gates v Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists – hearing listed for 4 July 2018

  32. Coyne & Brooks v Unite the Union – 5 day hearing listed for 25-29 June.

  33. cancellation of hearing – Dawson v UCU

  34. new hearing date added

  35. Added hearing in the case of Dinsdale v GMB on 19 April 2018

  36. Added preliminary hearing in the case of Coyne & Brooks v Unite the Union

  37. Rolfe v POA: hearing listed for Friday 2 March 2018

  38. Pollock v Accord: the hearing set for 15 February 2018 is cancelled

  39. The hearing set for Wednesday 24 January 2018 has been cancelled

  40. Added directions hearing for Coyne & Brooks v Unite the Union on 26/01/18

  41. New hearings announced for Markham v GMB and for Pollock v Accord.

  42. 1. The hearing for Pollock v Accord set for 30 November 2017 has been cancelled 2. Hearing listed for Chisholm v Unite the Union on 18 December 2017

  43. Pollock v Accord hearing

  44. McFadden v Unite the Union: the hearing set for Monday 9 October and Tuesday 10 October 2017 has been cancelled

  45. Announcement of forthcoming hearings.

  46. hearing date

  47. Details of restricted seating at venue.

  48. hearing postponed

  49. First published.

  50. New Certification Officer hearing dates

  51. A number of cases have been listed for hearings.

  52. Brough v Union of Construction, Allied Trades & Technicians (UCATT) (No. 2) has been listed for a hearing on 15 August 2016.

  53. Forbes v Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association: the hearing scheduled for 25 May 2016 in Edinburgh has been postponed.

  54. Three cases listed by the Certification Officer for hearings.

  55. Henderson v GMB has been listed for a hearing on 1 March 2016.

  56. The case of Mills v Unite the Union has been listed for a hearing on 11 November 2015 at Fleetbank House, London.

  57. Forthcoming hearings

  58. Forthcoming hearings

  59. Forthcoming Certification Officer hearing

  60. Stevens v Union of Democratic Mineworkers will be heard before the Certification Officer on 7 May 2015.

  61. Beaumont (4) and Mansell v Unite the Union: venue confirmed

  62. New venue for the Mills v Unite the Union hearing on 9 April 2015.

  63. New venue for the Street and Street (2) v UNISON hearing on 1 April 2015.

  64. Forthcoming hearings before the Certification Officer.

  65. The hearing date of 25 February 2015 for the case Stevens v Union of Democratic Mineworkers has been postponed. A new hearing date will be announced shortly.

  66. The hearing scheduled for 28 January 2015 in the case Barton v UNISON will not now go ahead. A decision will be placed on the website in due course.

  67. The hearing date of 19 January 2015 for Street and Street (2) v UNISON has been postponed. A new hearing date will be announced shortly.

  68. Details of forthcoming hearings published on the Certification Officer’s website.

  69. Notice of three new public hearings.




Intellectual property clinics

The intellectual property clinics which we hold in Newport are currently postponed. Please see Other IP clinics below for more information about other clinics which run.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is holding free regular IP legal clinics in Newport. The IP clinics are hosted by an IP Attorney who is a member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA).

The IP clinics are for individuals and businesses seeking legal advice on patents, trade marks and designs. If you require more general help and support with intellectual property please visit our IP for Business tools.

What will you get?

You can discuss your ideas or problems in confidence with an IP Attorney for 30 minutes at no cost. An Examiner from the IPO will also take part in the clinic to help give an understanding of the IPO´s requirements.

How to register

For help and information on IP matters or to make an appointment, please call our Information Centre on 0300 300 2000 or email us to discuss your requirements.

Venue

Intellectual Property Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
South Wales
NP10 8QQ
United Kingdom

Date

Please see our events calendar for other dates.

Other IP clinics

Please note that this clinic is based in Newport, South Wales.

Other IP clinics are held regularly across the UK which may be more convenient. For more information please see CIPA and CITMA.

For further non legal IP support in your area, locate your nearest Patlib or Business and IP Centre.

Published 2 November 2016
Last updated 21 January 2022 + show all updates

  1. Information about our IP clinics held in Newport are currently postponed.

  2. Date removed due to being out of date and the next clinic is to be confirmed.

  3. IP clinic added for 30 October 2018.

  4. New Intellectual property clinic date (20 February 2018) added.

  5. IP clinic for 12 December 2017, 20 February, 24 April and 26 June 2018 added.

  6. Date added for October 2017.

  7. New intellectual property clinic date added.

  8. New Intellectual Property clinic date added.

  9. New clinic date added.

  10. First published.




30 September filing deadline for accounts

Companies House letter on doormat.

It’s easier to file your accounts online.

Find out how to get your company authentication code, which you’ll need to file online. It’s sent by post to the company’s registered office and can take up to 5 days to arrive.

What are annual accounts?

You can watch our annual accounts video with captions on YouTube (1m 45s).

File early and file online

File online before your deadline and we’ll send you an email to confirm we’ve received your accounts. We’ll send you another email when we’ve registered your accounts.

It can take as little as 15 minutes from start to finish and you’ll know your accounts have been delivered on time.

If you’re a small company, you cannot file abbreviated accounts any more. Find out your accounts filing options for small companies.

You’ll still need to file accounts if your company is dormant.

Avoid rejections

Our online filing service has inbuilt checks to help you avoid mistakes.

Accounts filed on paper need to be manually checked. We can only check them during office opening hours, and they can take over a week to process.

If you have to file paper accounts, you may want to use a guaranteed next day delivery service. Send your accounts well before the deadline in case you need time to resubmit them. If your accounts are rejected and you need to resend them, you could be too late to avoid a penalty.

Postal delays will not be accepted as an excuse for late filing.

Our online services

Our online services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Check your company is registered for online filing and you’re able to file your accounts on the service.

Filing accounts at our offices

Our Cardiff office is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can receive documents during the holiday period. Our London and Edinburgh offices have a letterbox for out of hours deliveries. Our Belfast office can only accept documents during opening hours.

Further information

Find out more about our WebFiling service and the company authentication code you’ll need to file online.

GOV.UK has information about how to prepare your accounts.

We have further guidance on accounts and late filing penalties.

If you cannot file your accounts on time, email enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk as soon as possible. Include your company name, number and the reasons you need an extension.

Published 6 September 2016
Last updated 30 August 2019 + show all updates

  1. Updated for September 2019.
  2. Latest video about accounts added.
  3. Further information updated.
  4. Added translation



News story: IP and BREXIT: The facts

This guide offers information on the future of intellectual property (IP) laws following the decision that the UK will leave the European Union (EU).

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) continues to contribute fully to the government’s work towards exiting the EU. It has a clear goal of ensuring an effective IP regime that supports UK innovation and creativity. The UK will remain one of the best places in the world to obtain and protect your IP.

In March 2017 the Prime Minister formally started the process of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

The government has published the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the EU. This has been endorsed by leaders at a special meeting of the European Council on 25 November 2018. As set out in the Withdrawal Agreement, we will continue to protect all existing registered European Union Trade Marks, Registered Community Designs, and Unregistered Community Designs as we leave the EU. We will do so by creating over 1.7 million comparable UK rights, which will be granted automatically and free-of-charge.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Act received Royal assent on 26 June 2018 and is now law. The Withdrawal Act will ensure that the UK exits the EU with certainty, continuity, and control. It is in no one’s interests for there to be a cliff edge, and so the laws and rules that we have now will, so far as possible, continue to apply. The government has been clear that the Withdrawal Act and any further secondary legislation made under the Act will not aim to make major changes to policy or legislation beyond those which are necessary to ensure the law continues to work properly on day one.

The government published a White Paper on the Future Relationship Between the United Kingdom and the European Union on 12 July 2018, setting out an important vision for elements of the future relationship between the UK and EU on intellectual property. In particular, the White Paper proposes that the UK should continue to participate in the unitary patent system and the Unified Patent Court that underpins it.

Furthermore, the UK looks forward to exploring other arrangements on IP cooperation that will provide mutual benefits to UK and EU rights holders. This will all require negotiation with the EU and we look forward to discussing the possibilities with our European partners.

A scenario in which the UK leaves the EU without an agreement (a ‘no deal’ scenario) is highly unlikely. However, in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario, the government has published a series of technical notices. This information helps businesses and citizens understand what they need to do, so they can make informed plans and preparations.

The technical notices on intellectual property were published on 24 September 2018:

The notices cover the government’s plans for continued recognition of existing rights in the UK by recreating protections in UK law. This applies both to registered and unregistered rights. They also cover wider mechanisms and arrangements relating to IP, such as cross-border copyright and exhaustion.

For these mechanisms and arrangements, the government intends to provide continuity where possible. However, businesses and other stakeholders might need to consider whether and how the changes required will affect them.

Statutory legislation and business guidance

To prepare the UK’s statute book for its exit from the EU the UK government will be passing technical changes through statutory legislation in Parliament over the coming months, using powers under the EU Withdrawal Act 2018.

Where appropriate, the government may publish detailed guidance alongside these legislative changes and will work closely with business representatives, trade associations and stakeholders on the implications.

To ensure UK copyright law functions properly if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, we have introduced The Intellectual Property (Copyright and Related Rights) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018. This legislation was laid in Parliament on 26 October 2018.

We have published guidance on the changes to UK law in the event of no deal. This complements the recent ‘technical notice’ on copyright and EU exit and covers the impacts on UK right holders, businesses, cultural heritage institutions and other organisations, and consumers. (insert hyperlink to document when available)

Please note this document is meant for guidance only. You should consider whether you need separate professional advice before making specific preparations.

Trade marks

The existing UK system for protecting trade mark rights will remain largely unaffected by the UK’s decision to leave the EU. While the UK remains a full member of the EU then EU Trade Marks (EUTM) continue to be valid in the UK. When the UK leaves the EU, in any scenario, an EUTM will continue to be valid in the remaining EU Member States and UK businesses will still be able to register an EU trade mark, which will cover all remaining EU Member States.

We recognise that owners of existing EU trade marks want clarity over the coverage of those rights when the UK leaves the EU. In any scenario, including one which does not involve a deal between the UK and the EU, the government will seek to minimise disruption for business and to provide for a smooth transition. For existing EU trade marks, this means that for all scenarios, the government aims to ensure continuity of protection and avoid the loss of those rights. In doing so, our overall objective is to provide maximum clarity and legal certainty for right holders and third parties. The government is looking at various options and is discussing the best way forward with users of the system.

In addition, the UK is a member of the international trade mark system called the Madrid System. This allows users to file one application, in one language, and pay one set of fees to protect trade marks in up to 113 territories including the EU.

UK businesses will continue to have access to the Madrid System when looking to protect their trade marks.

For our future relationship with the EU, the UK looks forward to exploring arrangements on IP cooperation that will provide mutual benefits to UK and EU rights holders. Such arrangements will all require negotiation with the EU and we look forward to discussing the possibilities with them, including on trade marks.

Designs

The UK system for protecting registered and unregistered designs is not affected by the decision to leave the EU.

While the UK remains a full member of the EU, Registered Community Designs (RCD) continue to be valid in the UK. When the UK leaves the EU, an RCD will cover the remaining EU Member States.

We recognise that owners of existing RCDs want clarity over the coverage of those rights when the UK leaves the EU. In any scenario, including one which does not involve a deal between the UK and the EU, the government will seek to minimise disruption for business and to provide for a smooth transition. For existing RCDs this means that in all scenarios, the government will aim to ensure continuity of protection and avoid the loss of those rights. In doing so, our overall objective is to provide maximum clarity and legal certainty for right holders and third parties. The government is looking at various options and is discussing the best way forward with users of the system.

Once the UK leaves the EU, UK businesses will still be able to register a Community Design, which will cover all remaining EU Member States.

The government has ratified the Hague Agreement and has joined this international system in a national capacity. The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs allows for registration of up to 100 designs in over 68 territories through filing one single international application.

UK businesses will continue to have access to the Hague System when looking to protect their designs.

Unregistered designs

While the UK remains a member of the EU, designs, two- and three-dimensional designs (including, for example, clothing designs and patterns) can be automatically protected in the EU as ‘unregistered Community designs’. This gives a design 3 years protection from copying.

Once the UK leaves the EU, unregistered protection for designs will continue to exist through the UK unregistered design right which provides a longer term of protection for a different scope of design features. In addition to this, where the UK does not have existing domestic legislation to protect certain types of rights, it will establish new schemes, which will preserve the full scope of the unregistered Community design right in the UK.

Rights of representation

The UK government recognises the concerns IP professionals have about their future rights to represent clients before the EU Intellectual Property Office. We welcome views on how to address these concerns and are involving stakeholders in consideration of these issues.

In the meantime, the UK and EU have agreed that UK practitioners who are representing clients before the CJEU and EUIPO in cases that are pending at the end of the implementation period will be able to continue acting in those cases until their conclusion.

As set out in our White Paper, the UK will be seeking to establish a joint practice arrangement whereby UK and EU legal representatives will be able to jointly support clients with cases before EU institutions, including before the EUIPO and the CJEU.

For our future relationship with the EU, the UK looks forward to exploring arrangements on IP cooperation that will provide mutual benefits to UK and EU rights holders. Such arrangements will all require negotiation with the EU and we look forward to discussing the possibilities with them, including on registered and unregistered designs.

Patents

European patents

The UK’s exit from the EU will not affect the current European patent system, which is governed by the (non-EU) European Patent Convention.

UK businesses can continue to apply to the European Patent Office for patent protection which will include the UK. Existing European patents covering the UK are also unaffected.

European patent attorneys based in the UK will continue to be able to represent applicants before the EPO see EPO and CIPA: no impact of Brexit on UK membership of EPO for more information.

Supplementary Protection Certificates

While the UK remains a full member of the EU, businesses can continue to apply for and be granted Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) for patented pharmaceutical and plant protection products using the current SPC system. Existing UK SPCs granted under that system continue to be valid.

Once the UK leaves the EU, UK businesses will still be able to apply for SPCs in all remaining EU Member States under the existing system.

As far as the UK’s own SPC regime is concerned, our intention is to provide maximum certainty and clarity for businesses operating in this important area of innovation. We will do this by maintaining the current SPC legal framework in the UK as we leave the EU.

Unified Patent Court

The UK ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) on 26 April 2018. Our ratification brings the international court one step closer to reality.

The UK intends to stay in the Unified Patent Court and unitary patent system after we leave the EU. The UPC and unitary patent project are an important means of simplifying the protection of innovative products throughout Europe. This Agreement sets the bar for the level of constructive cooperation that the UK seeks with European partners in the future.

The Agreement on the Unified Patent Court (UPC) is an international treaty. The international court will have jurisdiction over patent disputes across its contracting states.

It will deliver a single judgment in cross-border disputes between private parties over patents granted under the current intergovernmental system, including the future Unitary Patent.

While the UK remains in the EU, our copyright laws will continue to comply with the EU copyright directives, and we will continue to participate in EU negotiations.

The UK is a member of a number of international treaties and agreements protecting copyright. This means that the majority of UK copyright works (such as music, films, books and photographs) are protected around the world. This will continue to be the case following our exit from the EU. When we leave the EU, certain cross-border copyright mechanisms will no longer work in the way they are intended.

For our future relationship with the EU, the UK looks forward to exploring arrangements on IP cooperation that will provide mutual benefits to UK and EU rights holders. Such arrangements will all require negotiation with the EU and we look forward to discussing the possibilities with them, including copyright.

Enforcement

The UK is widely seen as a world leader in enforcement of IP. By working in partnership with law enforcement and industry, the government can deliver an IP environment where legitimate businesses thrive and consumers are protected.

For the time being the UK’s enforcement framework remains unchanged. We are still part of the EU and we continue to play a part at the EU Observatory, and in bodies like Europol. The process for intercepting counterfeits and other infringing goods at the border remains unchanged. We also continue to play an active role in the follow up to the review of the Enforcement Directive, and the Commission’s work on tackling commercial-scale infringement.

The UK is ready to engage constructively to establish an approach to enforcement cooperation that best suits the needs of the UK and EU and facilitates frictionless trade in goods to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. This may involve sharing information and research on IPR enforcement, working closely with the EU Observatory on the infringement of IP Rights.

Exhaustion of IP rights

While the UK remains a full member of the EU, intellectual property rights remain exhausted after the first sale of a good, with the right holders permission, within the territory of the European Economic Area (EEA).

The UK looks forward to exploring arrangements on IP cooperation that will provide mutual benefits to UK and EU rights holders and we are ready to discuss issues the EU wishes to raise in the negotiations on our future relationship, including exhaustion of IP rights.

The IPO is keen to hear your views on these issues. Please speak to your usual contact or email EUenquiries@ipo.gov.uk and we will ensure your comments are taken onboard.




News story: Making a success of Brexit

Following the outcome of the EU referendum, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is working closely with the Government to analyse the best options and opportunities available for the safe and effective regulation of medicines and medical devices in the UK.

While negotiations continue, the UK remains a full and active member of the EU, with all the rights and obligations of EU membership firmly in place. Working with our partners, stakeholders and customers, our focus remains: protecting health and improving lives.

Medicines regulation

Playing a full, active role in European regulatory procedures for medicines remains a priority. We contribute significantly in both the centralised and decentralised regulatory procedures, including new rapporteur and reference member state (RMS) appointments, and maintain our programmes for implementing EU legislation as required by our obligations as a Member State. We are also fully engaged in European and national scientific advice services and in delivering our EU inspection-related duties.

Devices regulation

Our role in regulating medical devices and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices remains integral. We oversee the essential work of the five UK Notified Bodies; together they are responsible for assessing the majority of devices currently placed on the EU market. Our preparations to implement proposed new Regulations for Medical Devices and IVDs continue.

Vigilance and market surveillance

We maintain our role in vigilance, market surveillance and taking direct action, where needed, to protect patients and public health, and we continue to co-ordinate with other Competent Authorities, across Europe and internationally, in these and other areas.

Future regulatory partnership

On 4 July the UK Government gave a clear, public statement of its desire to retain a close working partnership in respect of medicines regulation after the UK leaves the EU, in the interests of public health and safety. The statement, published in the Financial Times, by the Secretary of State for Health and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy laid out the three principles which will underpin the development of a post-Brexit regulatory system for medicines and devices: patients should not be disadvantaged; innovators should be able to access the UK market as quickly and simply as possible; and we will continue to play a leading role in both Europe and the world in promoting public health.

These principles and the government’s position were developed further in a speech by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health, Lord O’Shaughnessy, at the BIA/MHRA conference in London on 14 July.

The commitment to continuing the close working relationship with our European partners with respect of medicines regulation and protecting public health globally is also reiterated on page 14 of the Governments Collaboration on science and innovation ‘A Future Partnership Paper’ published in September 2017.

More broadly, as part of the guidelines adopted for the second phase of the negotiations at the European Council meeting on December 15, the European Council reconfirmed it’s desire to establish a close partnership between the UK and EU.

EMA/EU & CMDh notices to Marketing Authorisation Holders

We are aware of the recent notices to Marketing Authorisation Holders issued by the EMA/EU-27 and CMDh advising of preparations MA holders may want to consider ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU.

Until the exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the EU and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. We therefore continue to play a full role in the network and to undertake our work as a Reference Member State (RMS) in the decentralised procedure, and as (co-) rapporteur in the centralised procedure. If, however you do want to consider preparation for any potential changes to marketing authorisation or RMS, please see the information provided by the EMA and the HMA.

Whatever the outcome of the negotiation we will continue to collaborate with all involved to deliver the current speed of authorisations, access to new and innovative medicines and devices and to continue to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of all medicines and devices, to safeguard an uninterrupted level of public health protection.

On 23 August 2018 the government published guidance for businesses and citizens on how to prepare for exiting the EU if there’s no deal.

This guidance is in the form of a series of technical notices, a number of which relate directly to the work of the Agency:

A further 3 technical notices are also related to the work of the Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC):

Guidance for marketing authorisation holders in the event of a no-deal Brexit has been published by DHSC.

We have also published our letter to industry, and accompanying guidance, covering the conversion of existing approved Community Marketing Authorisations to UK Marketing Authorisations (MAs) and a letter providing Product Licence numbers and the actions that companies are asked to take.

A letter to suppliers of medical devices and clinical consumables about contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit has been published by DHSC.

In January 2019 we published information on how to make regulatory medicines submissions to the MHRA if the UK leaves the EU with no deal.

MHRA consultation on EU exit no-deal legislative proposals

We ran a consultation on the regulatory processes which would have to be modified in the event of the UK not securing a deal with the EU after the UK’s exit, with no Implementation Period.

We responded to this consultation, in the form of a further guidance note on the regulation of medicines, medical devices and clinical trials if there’s no Brexit deal, on 3 January 2019.

Customers, partners and stakeholders approaching MHRA continue to have access to our internationally recognised expertise and we maintain the highest quality services. For further information, please get in touch with your usual contact points in the Agency.