Charging standards meaning

In this issue: Investigating criminal conduct Criminal procedure and evidence Sentencing Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Consumer protection and cartels Environmental offences Financial services and pensions offences Fraud, forgery, tax and theft offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Local authority prosecutions Money laundering International Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Investigating criminal conduct Refusal to repurpose evidence in civil proceedings for criminal charging decision (WFZ v British Broadcasting Corp) The High Court has recently clarified the circumstances in which a party will be permitted to rely on witness statements outside the proceedings in which they were first served. In ongoing injunction proceedings aimed at stopping publication of a BBC investigative report into sexual abuse allegations, the court determined that the accused could not use sensitive excerpts from that report in representations to the...

In this issue: Brexit highlights Brexit SIs Post-Brexit transition guidance Public procurement Constitutional and administrative law Judicial review Equality and human rights State security and intelligence Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Brexit highlights NIO publishes Terms of Reference for Independent Review of Windsor Framework The Northern Ireland Office has released the Terms of Reference for an Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, as required by Schedule 6A to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Initiated after a consent motion cleared the Northern Ireland Assembly without cross-community endorsement, the review will consider how the Framework is working and its influence on social, economic and political life in Northern Ireland. It is consistent with undertakings in the October 2019 Unilateral Declaration and the January 2024 Safeguarding the Union Command Paper. The resulting findings will be submitted to the UK Government, supplying vital...

What is reservoir safety? Reservoir safety addresses the physical stability and sound operation of reservoirs, with particular attention to their dams and embankments. It concerns public protection and the security of critical infrastructure. Reservoirs serve as a strategic buffer in water resource management, holding surplus during wetter periods to sustain supply through dry spells. In England, the regime currently applies to ‘large raised reservoirs’ able to store more than 25,000 cubic metres of water above ground level. In Wales, the bar is lower, covering reservoirs with a capacity exceeding 10,000 cubic metres. As at March 2025, there were 2,146 such regulated reservoirs in England alone. The potential hazard is considerable: about 2.6 million people could be endangered if a dam failure led to catastrophic flooding. What is the aim of the new regime? The reforms intend to introduce a modernised, future-proof framework for reservoir safety across England and Wales. The goal is to deliver a robust, proportionate and adaptive safety regime that mirrors contemporary engineering and regulatory...

All family practitioners ought to approach their work with a commercially minded approach to practice. Partners must ensure the firm as a whole turns a healthy profit, heads of department must deliver a profitable team, and each individual must be profitable to safeguard their business, their team or their role. Although making major changes to systems can be culturally or personally difficult, smaller, incremental actions that lift profit margins are usually far more attainable for virtually any practice. This Practice Note sets out practical suggestions designed to strengthen performance at both personal and firm-wide scale. Professional obligations The SRA Standards and Regulations apply. The key requirements set out within the SRA Standards and Regulations comprise the following: Principles Code of Conduct for Solicitors, registered European lawyers (RELs), registered foreign lawyers (RFLs) and registered Swiss lawyers (RSLs) Code of Conduct for Firms Accounts Rules Glossary The SRA Accounts Rules set out how firms should keep clients’ money safe and...

This Practice Note This Practice Note sets out solicitors’ mandatory duties to give clear, comprehensive costs information to privately funded clients. It covers what should be included in client care letters, cost/benefit analysis, exposure to another party’s costs, and funding aspects such as legal services orders and Sears Tooth agreements. A matter will be privately funded where: the client has agreed to pay their fees from their own resources, and their obligation to pay is not dependent on a particular event, eg winning the case See Practice Note: Funding—charging for family law services for the different approaches to privately funded work. Professional obligations The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations apply. Key components include the SRA: Principles Code of Conduct for Solicitors, registered European lawyers (RELs) and registered foreign lawyers (RFLs) Code of Conduct for Firms Accounts Rules Glossary For further guidance, see Practice Note: The Solicitors Regulation Authority...

A local authority is under a duty to properly arrange a placement in an adult’s preferred accommodation for anyone assessed as having eligible care and support needs, provided specific qualifying conditions are satisfied. Where the authority does so, the adult may, following an assessment of their income and capital, have to contribute towards the overall ongoing placement costs. An individual can be accommodated in a setting that is a care home, whether either licensed or unlicensed. If an older or vulnerable person needs a high level of support from the local authority, a residential care home may be the most appropriate option. Definition of a local authority care home A local authority care home in England provides accommodation together with personal or nursing care, including emotional or psychiatric care, for people who: are or have been ill have or have had a mental disorder are disabled or infirm are or have been dependent on alcohol or drugs Registration of...