Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

General Principles definition

What does General Principles mean? In takeover practice, General Principles are the high‑level standards that guide how the Takeover Code (UK) and the Irish Takeover Rules are interpreted and applied in real transactions. They set expectations of commercial behaviour by bidders, target boards and advisers. There are six General Principles, mirroring the general principles in Article 3 of the EU Takeover Directive. In the UK they are contained in the Code notwithstanding Brexit; in Ireland they derive from the Directive and are embedded in the Rules. They are expressed in broad terms and neither the Code nor the Rules defines the precise limits of their...

Privilege in Civil Proceedings: Legal Professional Privilege, Related Protections, Disclosure and Inspection, Ownership, Duration and Practical Guidance (England and Wales)

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Practice notes

This Practice Note sets out the core principles, meaning and rationale for privilege. It identifies the main categories and explains how they operate:

legal advice privilege and litigation privilege (together, ‘legal professional privilege’ (LPP))
common interest privilege
joint privilege
public interest immunity (PII)
closed material procedures (CMP)

It examines the effect of privilege on disclosure and inspection, distinguishes confidential documents from privileged material, and considers who owns the right, how long it lasts, and its impact on case management. Practical tips on handling privilege are also provided.

What is privilege?

In English law, privilege is a fundamental right enabling a party, or its successors in title, to refuse production of certain documents (see the Court of Appeal decision in Addlesee v Dentons Europe). Where privilege applies, it generally does not remove the duty to disclose that a document exists, but it prevents production of the document to other parties or the court. For further guidance, see Do you need to disclose privileged documents? below. Special protection is afforded to communications between lawyers (and, in certain circumstances, third parties) and their clients...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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