The legal landscape is always shifting. This makes complete sense because certain laws become redundant as society evolves. Some laws are simply viewed as unethical when viewed through the lens of a newer generation. In any case, it’s worth keeping an eye on these seemingly-minor changes in society. Whilst the occasional law change might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, it’s important to remember that society doesn’t change overnight. Every development in the field of public law should be taken seriously. With that in mind, let’s talk about how the legal landscape is changing in Britain.

Income.

Something that affects everyone is income law. No matter your age, background, gender, or political persuasion, everybody has to earn money to survive in the modern world. This hasn’t changed for the past couple of centuries, but the laws surrounding income change with every passing year. In 2019, the UK has seen some major shifts in terms of income law. For starters, the National Minimum Wage has increased. So, not all legal changes are negative; this is great news for people in the lowest income bracket. Additionally, the income tax threshold has increased. That’s good news for low earners, yet again – you won’t have to pay any income tax until you earn over £12,500. The law involving pension contributions has changed, too. Both employers and employees have to contribute 3% and 5%, respectively, to auto-enrolment pension schemes. But that’ll benefit you when you retire.

Technology and law enforcement.

It’s not just the laws that are changing. Over recent decades, police organisations have had to update the way in which they enforce those laws. For both the organisations and the citizens in those constituencies, it’s well worth paying attention to these changes. As technology develops and improves, the police have to adapt and come up with technological solutions to the changing landscape of crime. You might want to do some research on digital policing. With the power of data collection on their side, modern police organisations can do so much more to investigate criminal activities and react to situations effectively. It’s worth appreciating that this is leading to a massive shift in the way that police officers enforce the law.

Road laws.

Most people slack off a little once they’ve passed their driving tests. However, having a license doesn’t mean that you’re an expert on road law until the end of time. Laws are always changing. You might have got all of the answers right on your test, but the questions on a typical driving test will already look majorly different after a few years of passing. In other words, you need to keep up with the legal landscape with regards to British roads. For starters, the Highway Code has updated the law concerning overtaking cyclists. Starting this year, motorists have been warned to leave at least 1.5m between their vehicle and cyclists in order to avoid being fined. If you didn’t know that, then it might be time to refresh yourself on both the Highway Code and current road laws in 2019.