Summary meaning

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA 2016) revamped the legal regime regulating covert surveillance by public authorities. IPA 2016 superseded large parts of the framework previously, though not solely, contained in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA 2000). See Practice Note: The regulation of intelligence gathering—an introductory guide. This note outlines the offences introduced by IPA 2016. For details of general sentencing limits in a magistrates’ court, see Practice Note: Sentences imposed following conviction—General limits on magistrates’ courts powers to impose custodial sentences following conviction... Section Offence Statutory defence Maximum sentence IPA 2016, s 3 — Unlawful interception: a person, by conduct in the UK, deliberately intercepts a communication during its transmission without lawful authority. Defence: where the individual has the right to control the operation or use of the system, or had that person’s express or implied consent to carry out the interception. Maximum sentence: on summary conviction, a fine; on indictment, up to two years’ imprisonment and/or a...

Use this Checklist when filing charges at Companies House where a UK company or a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) created the charge on or after 6 April 2013, and also read it alongside Practice Notes: How to register security at Companies House and Registering security at Companies House. For the purposes of Part 25 of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) on Company Charges, a 'charge' also covers a mortgage. Accordingly, references to a 'charge' in this Checklist should be understood to include a mortgage. Checklist The fourth column can be used to record observations or comments while progressing through the Checklist, capturing any points as the Checklist is worked through...

Procedural Guide This Procedural Guide outlines the approach to applications made under section 17 of the Married Women’s Property Act 1882 (MWPA 1882) or section 66 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (CPA 2004), for spouses and civil partners, extended to former spouses, former civil partners and those previously engaged. MWPA 1882, s 17 and its civil partnership analogue allow the court to determine, in a summary fashion, disputes concerning title to or possession of property between spouses or civil partners. In practice, this route is seldom used given the extensive range of orders available under Part II of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and CPA 2004, Sch 5. Applications may likewise be issued by former spouses and civil partners, and by individuals who were formerly engaged (technically, parties to a terminated agreement to marry or civil partnership agreement) within three years of the dissolution or annulment of the marriage or civil partnership, or the termination of the engagement. See Practice Note: Applications under the Married Women’s Property Act...

In Scotland, minor offences are pursued via a summary complaint. The summary process is governed by Part IX of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995...

STOP PRESS: This document is currently being updated to take account of the full implementation of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA 2025), which amends both the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. For further guidance on the compliance consequences of DUAA 2025, see Practice Note: Data (Use and Access) Act 2025—compliance implications. The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) grants data subjects several rights, including, among others: access to their personal data rectification erasure restriction of processing data portability a right of data subjects Individuals may ask an organisation at any time of their choosing to exercise one or more of these rights, and strict time limits and deadlines apply to responding to such requests promptly. See Practice Note: How to handle data subject requests. This Flowchart sets out a process for dealing with data subject requests made under the UK GDPR and reflects the requirements in the UK GDPR together...

See Practice Note: The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences in Scotland for information on criminal procedure in Scotland. This flowchart sets out the steps taken when a petition to the nobile officium of the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland is presented in relation to Scottish criminal proceedings. It should also be considered alongside Practice Note: Scottish criminal appeals—summary procedure...

In this issue: Air emissions and climate change Energy for environmental lawyers Environmental disputes and proceedings Environmental permits and consents Environmental taxes, reliefs and incentives ESG and sustainability Hazardous substances and chemicals Marine Nature, biodiversity and habitat conservation Waste Waste producer responsibility regimes Water, flooding and drainage Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Air emissions and climate change DESNZ releases quarterly waste data reporting template for the UK ETS. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has issued a template for quarterly waste data submissions under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). It is designed for waste operators to use when sending quarterly data reports to their regulator during the voluntary monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) period. See: LNB News 19/02/2026 50. AFME responds to European Commission consultation on climate resilience legislative framework. The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has provided...

In this issue Key DR developments Claims and remedies Costs and funding Litigation Applications—general Evidence and disclosure Appeals New content Dates for your diary Useful information Daily and weekly news alerts Key DR developments CPR Committee minutes Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting—6 June 2025: The Civil Procedure Rule Committee met on 6 June 2025 in a hybrid session at The Rolls Building (Royal Courts of Justice) and via video conference. The minutes confirm a forthcoming CPR 51 pilot enabling non-parties to obtain court documents, arising from the Supreme Court ruling in Cape Intermediate Holdings Ltd v Dring [2019] UKSC 38. They also record approved amendments to the e‑working pilot, progressing towards a permanent electronic filing system as part of ongoing court modernisation. Further topics included summary assessment of costs, arbitration updates, disclosure, civil restraint orders, closed material procedures, judicial review reforms for infrastructure projects, whiplash reforms, digital services and other procedural...

In this issue: Criminal procedure and evidence Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Consumer protection and cartels Cybercrime and data protection offences Environmental offences Financial services and pensions offences Fraud, forgery, tax and theft offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Insolvency offences and Companies Act offences Local authority prosecutions Money laundering Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Criminal procedure and evidence Email caution offers a rare glimpse into SFO record-keeping. Disclosures show a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) official urged investigators to avoid setting out case concerns in emails, highlighting how grinding disclosure disputes shaped the agency’s approach while it was under intense scrutiny over its evidence practices. See News Analysis: Email warning provides rare sight into SFO record-keeping... Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls FCDO issues guidance on consolidating UK sanctions lists by January...

The enterprise investment scheme (EIS) It is primarily intended to boost investment in smaller, higher‑risk trading companies by granting a range of tax reliefs to individual investors who acquire newly issued shares in such companies. The EIS rules are prescriptive and contain numerous conditions that must be satisfied, including those relating to: the individual investors the issued shares the issuing company This Practice Note centres on the conditions that apply to the individual investor. Those conditions are outlined in the context of the income tax relief afforded by Part 5 of the Income Tax Act 2007 (ITA 2007). References to the equivalent capital gains tax (CGT) provisions are included where appropriate. For information on the remaining conditions, see the following Practice Notes: EIS—conditions for relief: issued shares, the funds raised and the arrangements in general EIS—conditions for relief: issuing company EIS—conditions for relief: qualifying trades For a summary of tax reliefs available...

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA 1974) sets out broad duties to protect the health and safety of employees and others affected by work. Not complying with these duties is a criminal offence, prosecutable in either the magistrates’ court or the Crown Court. For details of the duties under HSWA 1974, ss 2–7, see the following Practice Notes: Failure to carry out health and safety duties under HSWA 1974—offences Safety and the risk to safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Employees' duties to take reasonable care for health and safety at work Directors’ duties for health and safety Health and safety law and the self-employed This Practice Note highlights those HSWA 1974 offences that can only be tried in the magistrates’ courts. Summary only health and safety offences The health and safety offences that are triable only in the magistrates’ court are: Breach of provisions relating...

This Practice Note sets out the particular rules governing VAT on costs that fall to be the subject of either summary or detailed assessment before the High Court. The applicable provisions are contained in CPR PD 44. Entitlement to This is addressed at CPR PD 44, para 2.3 through to CPR PD 44, para 2.6. The party seeking recovery of costs bears responsibility for ensuring that VAT is claimed only if, and only to the extent that, it cannot recover from HMRC the VAT it has incurred (CPR PD 44, para 2.4). if the VAT is recoverable from HMRC, it should not be included in a claim for costs if only a proportion of the VAT is recoverable from HMRC, include only that proportion which is not recoverable from HMRC in the claim for costs The legal adviser’s VAT registration number must appear in a prominent position at the head of every statement, bill of costs, fee sheet, account or voucher...

1 General information Report date: [ Enter date ] Previous report date: [ Enter date ] Report submitted by: [ Enter name ] 2 Action points arising from last report Action item: [ Enter action point ], Responsible person: [ Identify person responsible for this action point ], Status: [ Enter status ] Action item: [ Enter action point ], Responsible person: [ Identify person responsible for this action point ], Status: [ Enter status ] Action item: [ Enter action point ], Responsible person: [ Identify person responsible for this action point ], Status: [ Enter status ] Action item: [ Enter action point ], Responsible person: [ Identify person responsible for this action point ], Status: [ Enter status ] 3 Executive summary This report covers the following items: 3.1 overview of business operations; 3.2 account of the operation of competition law compliance systems and controls;...

1 Introduction This role description and profile concerns the combined post of Deputy Money Laundering Compliance Officer (MLCO) and Deputy nominated officer (nominated officer). Any references to MLR 2017 relate to the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, SI 2017/692, as amended. 2 MLCO/nominated officer role holder details Firm name [ Insert firm name ] Name of Deputy MLCO/nominated officer [ Insert name ] Reports to: MLCO/nominated officer [ Insert name of MLCO/nominated officer ] Working pattern ☐ Full time ☐ Part time Details of any additional positions within the firm [ Insert details ] Date of appointment by the firm [ Insert date ] 3 Role summary 3.1 Serve as deputy to the firm’s MLCO/nominated officer...

1 General information Person(s) carrying out the audit: [ Provide name(s) of the individual(s) undertaking the audit ] Auditor classification: ☐ Internal ☐ External Audit dates: From [ enter date ] to [ enter date ] Audit type: ☐ Organisation-wide ☐ Targeted—[ Specify exactly what was targeted, e.g. property transactions funded by cryptoassets ] Office(s) in scope: [ Provide details of the offices included in this audit ] 2 Executive summary [ Provide a concise overview of the report findings ] [ Summary of recommendations: ] Importance — Number of recommendations Critical: [ Insert number of recommendations classified as critical ] Important: [ Insert number of recommendations classified as important ] 'Housekeeping': [ Insert number of recommendations classified as ‘Housekeeping’ ] 3 Scope of audit 3.1 This audit has been undertaken to: 3.1.1 review and assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the organisation’s policies, controls...

As outlined in Practice Note: Intestacy—summary and Entitlement on intestacy—flowchart, the order of entitlement on intestacy is set out within section 46 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925 (AEA 1925)...

Assured shorthold tenancies An Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) is a form of assured tenancy that permits a landlord to rent out a dwelling, while still keeping the ability to recover possession of the property once the term finishes. This differs from regulated and other assured tenancies, where the occupier might have a right to remain in the home when the term ends. For further detail, see Practice Note: A summary of types of private residential tenancies, under the heading A summary of types of private residential tenancies—Assured shorthold tenancies. As to how an AST arises, the starting position is that any residential letting granted on or after 28 February 1997 will, by default, be an AST, unless the landlord has served a notice on the tenant confirming that the tenancy will not be an AST...

This Q&A raises the issue of the extent to which a person who takes an assignment of the reversion to a residential lease is able to recover rent which fell due before the date upon which it takes effect Upon serving the tenant with notice of assignment of the reversion, the assignee’s rights depend on when the residential lease was granted: Leases granted before 1 January 1996: under section 141 of the Law of Property Act 1925, the assignee is entitled to rent falling due in the future. In addition, as established in Re King, the assignee may pursue arrears that accrued before the assignment, and once the transfer takes effect, the outgoing landlord’s ability to recover those sums is lost. Leases granted on or after 1 January 1996: the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 applies. By virtue of LT(C)A 1995, section 3(3)(b), an assignee of the reversion is entitled to rent which becomes payable after the assignment takes effect. In...