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In this issue A review of key cases in 2025 Decision to prosecute and alternatives to prosecution Criminal procedure and evidence Proceeds of crime Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Environmental offences Financial services and pensions offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Local authority prosecutions Money laundering Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information A review of key cases in 2025 Headline corporate crime matters in 2025 included the UK Supreme Court overturning the convictions of two traders jailed for rate manipulation; the anti-fraud agency deploying a seldom‑used legal power to recover criminal cash; and the first conviction for sanctions breaches. See News Analysis: The biggest financial crime cases of 2025. Decision to prosecute and alternatives to prosecution SFO compliance guide highlights early remediation is key On 26 November 2025, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO)...
The Mayor and Commonality and Citizens of The City of London v 48th Street Holding Ltd and another company [2025] EWHC 1130 (KB) What was the background? The second defendant (‘POLL’) traded in devising rate mitigation schemes (the RMS) for empty premises for third parties. The first defendant, 48SHL, implemented one such arrangement and relied on it as a defence to a claim for non‑domestic rates. Under the arrangement, once relevant property fell vacant, section 45(1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 together with the Non‑Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008, SI 2008/386, regs 3 and 4a, operated to confer an exemption from liability for unoccupied rates for three months and, on the expiry of that three‑month period. To facilitate this, 48SHL granted POLL a lease of the premises and, at the same time, served a break notice bringing the lease to an end six weeks after the grant. This was done to demonstrate occupation by POLL for the scheme’s purposes...
In this issue: Probate Elderly and vulnerable clients Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants UK taxes for Private Client HMRC Manuals updates Budgets and Finance Bills Digital assets and cryptoassets International Question of the week Additional Private Client updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts LexTalk®Private Client: a Lexis®PSL community New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Latest Q&As Useful information Probate Court Funds Office reduces special and basic accounts interest rate Effective 12 June 2024, the Court Funds Office lowered interest across special and basic accounts. Rates on special accounts shifted from 6.00% to 5.25%, while basic accounts dropped from 5.00% to 3.94%. See LNB News 16/07/2024 55. For a roundup of key rates relevant to Private Client work, refer to Practice Note: Key interest rates—Private Client. Elderly and vulnerable clients Discrimination challenge over social care charging policy (R (YVR (a...
The policy background In 2012, the first edition of the National Planning Policy Framework (2012 NPPF) took effect in England. It obliged local planning authorities (LPAs), among other things, to plan to meet the full, objectively assessed requirement for both market and affordable homes within their boundaries. They were expected to use their evidence base so the Local Plan met the full, objectively assessed housing need across the housing market area, insofar as this aligned with the Framework’s policies, and to identify key sites critical to delivering the housing strategy over the plan period. This represented a significant change in policy—previously there was no obligation to assess needs objectively with a view to planning to meet them. The purpose of this shift was to boost significantly the supply of housing (para 47 of the 2012 NPPF). For further detail on the treatment of housing needs in the 2012 NPPF, see the archived Practice Note: Objectively assessed need and housing land supply in the 2012 NPPF [Archived]...
Loan market and developments Kindly give a short synopsis of the current position of the loan markets in your jurisdiction and any material recent shifts. Ireland’s retail banking landscape now centres on three principal institutions—AIB, Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB—following the departures of KBC and Ulster Bank in 2022. Alongside them, various non-bank lenders are active in the Irish arena. Some hold Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) authorisation as retail credit firms, as they provide credit to individuals; others are authorised by the CBI as credit servicing firms. For the Irish credit servicing regime, in-scope credit agreements include those with individuals (with limited exceptions) and, where a loan was originated by a regulated financial services provider (RFSP) and subsequently sold, lending to a small or medium-sized enterprise. In 2024, domestic banks increased overall lending to Irish corporates—most notably within real estate and primary industries—while SME borrowing rates eased, after a spell of rises driven by European Central Bank (ECB) rate hikes. Please furnish a brief outline of forthcoming...
National non-domestic rates (NNDR) This Practice Note sits within a broader series on NNDR. It sets out the legislative framework for billing and recovery, explains the collection fund, and outlines transitional reliefs and exemptions operating within the system, addressing periods both before and after the pandemic. For more on other facets of the NNDR scheme, see the following Practice Notes: National non-domestic rates—valuation and appeals National non-domestic rates—business improvement district, business rate supplements and retention Liability for business rates Currently, local authorities collectively keep half of business rates income. The remainder is paid to central government, which then uses it to fund grants for local authorities. For the 2023–24 financial year, authorities project non-domestic rating income of £25.1bn—representing what they expect to collect after allowing for all reliefs, accounting adjustments and amounts retained outside the rates retention scheme. They also estimate awarding £7bn in business rates relief during 2023–24...
1 Definitions Within this Agreement, certain expressions carry specific meanings. Illustrative terms include: AA 2020: the Agriculture Act 2020; ATA 1995: the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 Adjoining Property: Retained Land and nearby premises; Adjoining Property Rights: rights over the Holding benefiting such land Agreement: this instrument and any supplementary or collateral document Annual Rent: yearly sum payable from the Rent Commencement Date on Rent Days Authority: any statutory, public or local body, court, government department or duly authorised officers Conduits: media and equipment for carrying energy, data or substances Costs: losses, expenses, damages and liabilities Direct Payment: any BPS Payment or SFS Payment, as applicable Eligible Holding: parts of the Holding qualifying for a Rural Support Payment Forfeiture Event: designated insolvency processes, non-payment, or breach Genetically Modified Organisms: as defined by the Environmental Protection Act 1990, including modified or derived crops Holding: the identified property shown on the Plan Insured Risks: perils the Landlord...
[Your ]Will—explanatory note This note sets out the main terms of your Will in plain language. Please review it alongside your Will. If anything does not reflect what you intend, please tell [ me OR [ name of person to contact ] ] before you sign. Revocation By signing this Will, all earlier Wills and codicils relating to [ your UK estate OR your worldwide estate ] are revoked. Accordingly, only this Will records your wishes on death. [ International aspects ] [ [ Your Will only concerns your UK property [ and your property outside the UK will be dealt with by a separate, local Will OR and your property outside the UK has already been dealt with by a separate, local Will ] OR Your Will deals with your worldwide estate ] . ] [ You declare that you are domiciled in [ insert appropriate jurisdiction ]. ] [ You have elected for English law...
Step 1: Identify our clients Question: Who are our current clients (specific and general)? Response: Anyone seeking to purchase, sell or let a home. Question: Who could be our future clients? (May be specific or a type of client, e.g. more corporate clients, more family law clients) Response: We aim to expand into commercial property. Question: Are there markets we have yet to tap? Response: Holiday lets and buy-to-let rentals are becoming increasingly common in our local area. Question: Is our client base likely to change? Response: The property market is starting to pick up, and we are seeing more second-home owners locally. Question: [ Insert other ] Response: [ Insert response ] Step 2: Gather client information/feedback Question: What do we already understand about our clients’ needs? Response: Clients expect their transaction handled swiftly and at a reasonable price. They like frequent updates, even when there is no progress. They...