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R (on the application of Andrew Rickards) v East Hertfordshire District Council [2025] EWHC 2278 (Admin) What are the practical implications of this case? For Part 6 agricultural prior approvals, the ruling clarifies that although the GPDO (SI 2015/596) grants permission in principle, authorities must still reach—and evidence in the case officer’s report—a targeted assessment of implementation, expressly addressing effects on designated assets, including: ancient woodland, where refusal is the norm absent wholly exceptional justification; and listed buildings, where great weight attaches to conservation, including their setting. Silence is unlikely to be cured by a charitable reading on review and risks being quashed. Declarations of unit size backed by a planning statement can suffice without disproportionate enquiries or a site visit, yet applicants should proactively grapple with nearby constraints, and the GPDO site-notice duty must be strictly satisfied. What was the background? The claim arose from a judicial review of a decision granting prior approval for the installation of...

In this issue: Brexit highlights Post-Brexit transition guidance Constitutional and administrative law Judicial review Equality and human rights Public procurement Subsidy control and State aid Information law State security and intelligence Central government pensions Other public law news LexTalk®Public Law: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Brexit highlights Court of Appeal confirms pre-settled status does not confer residency rights under Withdrawal Agreement (Fertré v Vale of White Horse District Council) In Fertré v Vale of White Horse District Council [2025] EWCA Civ 1057, the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) dismissed the claimant’s appeal. Although she has pre-settled status (PSS) under UK domestic law, that status does not generate residency rights under the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020. The court decided PSS is a home-grown entitlement, not one stemming from EU law or...

An alleged Cambodian scam factory's targeting with sanctions measures by US and UK enforcers can be seen a positive step in Anglo-American relations, but whether the action heralds a new dawn in joint sanctions enforcement remains unclear UK and US authorities designated Cambodian conglomerate Prince Group and its chairman, Chen Zhi, in a coordinated move intended to dismantle large‑scale scam centres alleged to systematically dupe victims and relieve them of substantial sums of money. As part of the case, US prosecutors seized US$15bn in cryptocurrency, their largest haul to date, reportedly linked to the alleged fraud. Observers view last week’s coordinated move as a welcome advance in bilateral ties, after doubts about how the two nations would collaborate during the Donald Trump administration had persisted for months. Under Trump, the US refocused its efforts largely on prioritising domestic issues instead. Yet others regard the move as more of an exception in sanctions enforcement, rather than the beginning of any new normal...

This Practice Note sets out summaries of costs judgments where the court declined to order indemnity costs. It identifies the principal question determined in each matter and offers observations on the ruling. Every matter is fact-specific; accordingly, these decisions are intended only to illuminate the court’s approach and should not be treated as precedents for how the courts will proceed in any particular circumstance. For examples of cases where indemnity costs were allowed, see Practice Note: Indemnity costs permitted—illustrative decisions. For guidance on indemnity costs orders, see Practice Note: Indemnity costs orders—principles. Indemnity costs refused Case and citation: Gagliardi v Evolution Capital Management LLC [2025] EWHC 3488 (Comm) Issue: Whether indemnity costs ought to be ordered against the defendant because the substance of its defence and counterclaim took the dispute outside the norm. Comment: As to indemnity costs, it was observed that, considering the conduct of the proceedings overall, this was a hard-fought Commercial Court matter where both parties could, at points, have...

The EU glossary brings together and clarifies terms regularly used in EU law. Blue economy The European Union’s blue economy covers all activities and sectors linked to oceans, seas and coastlines, whether operating directly in the marine environment (eg shipping, seafood, energy production) or on land (eg ports, shipyards, coastal infrastructures). Circular Economy Action Plan In March 2020, under the European Green Deal, the European Commission adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). The CEAP seeks to: make sustainable products the norm across the EU prioritise sectors likely to be highly affected by circularity, such as construction and buildings, batteries and vehicles, water, packaging, plastics, batteries, electronics empower consumers and public procurers cut waste For further details on the CEAP, see News Analysis: New circular economy action plan published, Sustainable products and supply chains (EU Law)—overview and Practice Note: EU Environment—horizon scanner, which covers key new and upcoming EU legislation and consultations relating to waste regulation,...

Executive directors’ shareholding requirements Ensuring executive directors’ remuneration tracks a company’s long-term strategy and aligns with shareholders’ interests continues to be a prominent and heavily debated issue for UK listed companies across the market. Although no law compels executive directors to hold company shares, imposing a minimum holding, reinforced by a post-employment shareholding policy, has now become the norm across listed companies and is regarded as best practice. The framework for a UK listed company’s shareholding expectations is outlined in the FRC’s Corporate Governance Code (the Code) and in supporting institutional investor guidelines. The primary institutional investor guidelines for these purposes are the Investment Association’s (IA) Principles of Remuneration—usually issued annually ahead of each AGM season (the IA Principles). Neither the Code nor the IA Principles are legally binding, nor do they have the force of law, but they strongly influence remuneration design and reflect best practice in corporate governance. The principal consequence of non-compliance is the risk that institutional investors will oppose the company’s Directors’ Remuneration Policy (DRP)...

Our Q&A centres on residential leases. In the vast majority of leases for flats, there is a term permitting the landlord to re-enter and recover possession where a covenant has been breached; such provisions are the norm, particularly in the context of long leases (those exceeding 21 years). However, the indication in the question that the tenant is content for the lease to be forfeited suggests the situation concerns a short lease, namely an assured shorthold tenancy (AST). It would be highly unusual for a long-lease holder who has paid a premium comparable to purchasing the freehold to be willing to forfeit that interest. Accordingly, this response proceeds on the footing that the tenant is an AST holder...