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R (Greyhound Board of Great Britain Ltd) v Welsh Ministers [2026] EWHC 670 (Admin) What are the practical implications of this case? The ruling reinforces the constitutional divide between the courts and the legislature. It explains that the scheme and framework of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (GWA 2006) embody that separation of powers, and that any judicial attempt to recognise and enforce a common law obligation on Welsh Ministers to consult prior to introducing legislation in the Senedd would trespass upon that boundary. This is not a departure from established principle; case law has already upheld comparable rules for lawmakers in Scotland and at Westminster. However, this is the first express confirmation of the position for Welsh lawmakers, and the first time this dimension of the GWA 2006 has been analysed in such depth. The court examined earlier
The solution arrived through the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), a quasi‑judicial body handling mass claims, created under UN Security Council Resolution 687. By addressing environmental harm—most notably via its ‘F4’ claim class—the UNCC set a seminal benchmark shaping how international law and contemporary arbitral panels allocate financial responsibility for wartime ecological devastation. With present-day wars in areas such as Eastern Europe and the Middle East bringing dam breaches, strikes on chemical facilities, and the burning of farmland, the UNCC’s legacy endures as an essential reference point for states, global investors, and companies engaged in post‑conflict arbitration. The F4 claims: Quantifying the unquantifiable Prior to the 1990s, mechanisms in international law for war reparations overwhelmingly favoured property loss, foregone earnings, and bodily injury. The natural world was commonly treated as a mute, non-compensable victim of armed hostilities...
Understanding the farming business as a business Many farms still use long-standing structures that arose by habit, not strategy. Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common. While once effective, such setups can cause major issues around succession, tax planning and involving the next generation. A corporate team can take a fresh, business-led view of the farm, asking: Who owns the land and other critical assets? Who manages daily operations? Who carries the risk and who enjoys the return? What is the enduring plan for succession? From this review, the team can confirm whether the current setup is fit for purpose or if an alternative — for example an updated partnership agreement, a company, a limited liability partnership, or a blended model — would better meet the family’s aims. Tax efficiency through joined-up advice Tax sits at the centre of most
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In this issue: UK competition policy EU mergers EU competition policy EU State aid Daily and weekly news alerts Caselex UK competition policy CMA publishes its Strategy for 2026–2029 The CMA has set out its Strategy for 2026–2029, explaining how it will advance competition and safeguard consumers to drive economic growth and strengthen household prosperity. The plan commits to embedding the 4Ps (pace, predictability, proportionality and process) across all activity, while evolving operations to maximise agility, productivity and overall impact. Promoting effective competition, including rolling out the UK’s new digital markets regime and enabling pro‑growth collaboration between businesses Championing consumers through enhanced enforcement powers to secure fair outcomes and bolster household confidence Helping government deploy pro‑competition measures that support growth, innovation and investment‑related policies Fostering a UK regulatory environment that attracts investment and instils business...
State aid AG issues opinion proposing Court of Justice set aside General Court’s judgment and annul Commission’s decision approving financing model for the Fehmarn Belt fixed rail-road link project Advocate General Rantos has delivered his opinion in Case C‑337/24 P, Denmark v Commission, challenging the General Court’s ruling in Case T‑364/20, which dismissed an application to annul the Commission’s approval of Denmark’s public financing model for the Fehmarn Belt fixed rail-road link between Denmark and Germany, an immersed tunnel under the Baltic Sea ( SA.39078). The Advocate General advises that the Court of Justice should set aside the General Court’s judgment and annul the Commission’s decision. Background The Fehmarn Belt fixed rail–road link is a flagship EU infrastructure priority: a 19 km immersed tunnel connecting Denmark and Germany, delivered by two Danish state-owned entities, Femern Landanlæg and Femern A/ S, with total project...
Mergers The Commission authorised: the acquisition of joint control of IPlant Holding S. P. A. by Tages Capital SGR S.p. A., and the acquisition of Italiana Petroli S. P. A. by Bestinver Gestión, S. A. U......
Competition policy CAT has issued a Practice Direction setting out binding rules on formatting and page lengths for skeleton arguments and other papers lodged with CAT. Practice Direction 2/2005 prescribes mandatory standards for layout and page limits applying to skeleton arguments and related documents submitted in CAT proceedings. This new Practice Direction replaces the previous direction on skeleton arguments and supersedes the page‑limit guidance contained in the 2015 Guide to Proceedings herein too......
Mergers The Commission has cleared the following transactions: Affiliates of Stonepeak Partners LP to take sole control of Global Sea Containers Ltd ( M.12043)—see further, Midday Express AIP, LLC to obtain sole control of International Paper Company’s global fibres business ( M.12157)—see further, Midday Express Metinvest B. V. to assume sole control of Arcelor Mittal Tubular Products Iasi S. A. ( M.12034)—see further, Midday Express The Commission was notified of Arcmont/ HPS/ Dainese ( M.12195) under the simplified merger procedure The public version of the Commission’s clearance decision in Methanex/ OCI Methanol Business ( M.11812) has been released—see further, decision The Commission has suspended the phase II investigation deadline in MMG/ Brazilian Nickel...
Private actions The CAT has granted collective proceedings orders ( CPOs), permitting Mr Justin Gutmann to pursue collective damages claims under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998 against Vodafone, EE/ BT, Telefónica UK ( O2) and Hutchison 3G UK ( Three). This outcome follows the Tribunal’s judgment of 14 November 2025 on limitation and certification—see further: order ( Vodafone), order ( EE/ BT), order ( H3G) and order ( Telefónica). Note— For live private actions in the UK that have been made public, see further also the UK private actions—ongoing cases tracker. Upcoming dates— For dates of forthcoming UK competition developments, see further the UK Competition calendar......
Competition policy European Commission authorises signing of the EU- UK Competition Cooperation Agreement In the Official Journal, the European Commission ( Commission) has issued Council Decision 2025/2376 of 4 November 2025, authorising, on behalf of the European Union ( EU), the signature of the Agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning co-operation on the application of their respective competition laws ( EU- UK Competition Cooperation Agreement). The signature remains subject to the Agreement being concluded......
Mergers Commission issues statement of objections in its phase II investigation into UMG/ Downtown The Commission has issued its statement of objections to Universal Music Group N. V. ( UMG) and Downtown Music Holdings LLC ( Downtown) concerning its continuing probe and investigation into UMG’s planned purchase of Downton. UMG, headquartered in the Netherlands, runs businesses spanning wholesale recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audio‑visual content across multiple markets. Downtown, based in the US, is a rights management and music services company operating internationally. It provides artist and label ( A& L) services to third‑party record artists and labels, music publishing services to third‑party authors and songwriters, together with royalty administration and other ancillary services for third‑party artists and labels. On 22 July 2025, the Commission sent the deal to an in‑depth phase II review due to worries that the merger could enable UMG to...
Mergers The CMA has released the full text of its decision confirming clearance of the completed purchase of Macquarie Rotorcraft Limited by SMFL LCI Helicopters Limited—see the decision for more. NOTE— For current live mergers before the CMA, see the UK mergers—ongoing cases tracker. Upcoming dates For forthcoming UK competition developments and key dates, consult the UK Competition calendar......
State aid Court of Justice clarifies when compensation for free lock operations may constitute State aid and confirms measure as existing aid The Court of Justice has delivered its judgment in Case C-401/24 Stockholms Hamn, a national reference from Sweden, addressing whether a yearly payment by a State authority to a municipal joint stock company for operating locks free of charge amounts to State aid within Article 107(1) TFEU and, if so, whether it must be regarded as existing or new aid under Regulation 2015/1589. The Court of Justice decided that such remuneration can amount to State aid, subject to the national court’s verification, and further confirmed that the measure is to be treated as existing aid. It falls to the national court to verify the conditions in light of this...
Competition policy CMA publishes its Strategy for 2026–2029 The CMA has unveiled its Strategy for 2026–2029, explaining how it intends to champion competition and safeguard consumers to stimulate economic growth and bolster household prosperity. The plan details the CMA’s commitment to weave its 4Ps framework—pace, predictability, proportionality and process—through every strand of its work, while refining its operations to optimise agility, enhance productivity and increase impact......
Mergers Following a phase I review, the Commission approved TJC’s purchase of Du Pont’s aramids division ( M.12188)—see further, Midday Express The Commission has been notified of the Atalante/ Myrium deal ( M.12223) under the simplified merger procedure NOTE— For all ongoing merger investigations before the Commission, see further, EU mergers—ongoing cases tracker State aid Under EU State aid rules, the Commission has signed off a Czech measure worth €450m to support US chipmaker Onsemi in creating a next‑generation integrated manufacturing plant for silicon carbide power devices in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm—see further, press release NOTE— For all current State aid decisions and active formal State aid investigations, see further, EU State aid decisions—ongoing cases tracker Upcoming dates For key dates on forthcoming EU competition developments, see further, EU Competition calendar......
Mergers The Commission approved move by Am Trust International Limited and Blackstone Inc. to acquire shared control over Am Trust's Managing General Agent and fee business......
Market studies The CMA has issued a letter replying to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s call for a market study into the UK private dental care sector, centred on local competition and whether consumers can choose effectively and get value for money. Welcoming the request, the CMA has started initial scoping and engagement with officials to assess the case, with a fuller proposal to its Board. It reaffirmed its aim to ease cost‑of‑living pressures via pro‑competitive action, citing ongoing work on the government’s Fuel Finder scheme and the Veterinary Services for Household Pets market investigation. It also restated readiness to help tackle bid‑rigging in public procurement using AI and data‑led tools. The Chancellor said further updates on any CMA recommendations would come in the Autumn Budget 2025 and thereafter. See further, case page. Subsidy control The Subsidy Advice Unit has published its final report advising the...
In this issue: UK private actions UK market studies EU antitrust EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation EU digital markets EU State aid Daily and weekly news alerts Caselex CAT issues judgment granting CPO in collective damages action brought against mobile network operators for an alleged abuse of dominance over ‘loyalty payments’ The CAT issued its judgment in Mr Justine Gutmann v Vodafone Limited and Vodafone Group Plc, Mr Justin Gutmann v EE Limited and BT Group PLC, Mr Justin Gutmann v Hutchison 3G UK Limited and Mr Justin Gutmann v Telefonica UK Limited, on four CPO applications. Under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998 ( CA 1998), applications were brought by Mr Justin Gutmann, as proposed class representative ( PCR), against Vodafone Limited and Vodafone Group PLC, EE Limited and BT Group PLC, Hutchison 3G UK Limited ( Three) and Telefonica UK Limited ( O2). Each mobile network operator ( MNO) is alleged to have...
Mergers The CMA has opened a consultation on commitments proposed by the parties as an alternative to a phase 2 investigation, regarding the anticipated acquisition by Greencore Group plc of Bakkavor Group plc—see the case page for further details. Note— For all live mergers before the CMA, please refer to the UK mergers—ongoing cases tracker. Upcoming dates For dates of forthcoming UK competition developments, please also see the UK Competition calendar......
Mergers The Commission approved a transaction granting sole controlling ownership of Iveco Group N. V....
Dr Rach a el Kent v Apple Inc and Apple Distribution International Limited [2025] CAT 67 What are the practical implications of this case? The ruling marks a significant win for claimants, following the dismissal of the first two collective actions to reach trial— Justin Le Patourel v BT Group Plc and Another [2024] CAT 76 and Justin Gutmann v First MTR South Western Trains Ltd and Others [2025] CAT 64. More generally, it engages with a number of key questions in competition law and procedure. The decision also makes notable findings on how a company’s interconnected product suite—here, Apple’s wider digital ‘ecosystem’—should be considered when evaluating market definition, dominance and abuse. The assessment is framed within Apple’s holistic digital ‘ecosystem’, which brings together: (1) the hardware (ie the i Phone or i Pad); (2) the i OS operating system; (3) i OS...
Antitrust Commission consults on commitments offered by SAP in maintenance and support services investigation The Commission has initiated a market consultation on SAP’s proposed commitments, seeking to remedy identified concerns regarding its maintenance and support services for on-premises Enterprise Resource Planning ( ERP) software ( AT.40823). These commitments arise after the Commission opened a formal probe in September 2025, where its initial findings suggested SAP might have exploited a dominant position within the relevant market therein......
Private actions CAT issues judgment granting CPO in collective damages action brought against mobile network operators for an alleged abuse of dominance over ‘loyalty payments’ The CAT has delivered its judgment in Mr Justin Gutmann v Vodafone Limited and Vodafone Group Plc; Mr Justin Gutmann v EE Limited and BT Group PLC; Mr Justin Gutmann v Hutchison 3G UK Limited; and Mr Justin Gutmann v Telefonica UK Limited. The ruling addresses four applications for collective proceedings orders ( CPOs) made, under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998, by Mr Justin Gutmann, acting as the proposed class representative ( PCR), against Vodafone Limited and Vodafone Group PLC, EE Limited and BT Group PLC, Hutchison 3G UK Limited ( Three), and Telefonica UK Limited ( O2). Each mobile network operator ( MNO) is alleged to have infringed the Chapter II prohibition of the...
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When evaluating a general damages claim, the practitioner ought initially to refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG)...
This Practice Note This Practice Note reviews mechanisms used in settling litigation. A Tomlin order consists of a consent order paired with a schedule. It operates to stay proceedings on terms that have been agreed. The provisions contained in the schedule may remain confidential. This Practice Note describes the scope of confidentiality attaching to the schedule and sets out how it differs from a standard consent order. Sample wording for a Tomlin order is included, alongside links to precedents, as well as guidance on court approval. It also addresses varying, setting aside and enforcing a Tomlin order, including the considerations the court will take into account when handling applications for each. Further guidance is provided on interpreting and applying the relevant provisions of the CPR; however, some courts and divisions impose very specific requirements for both drafting and approval, and for approaching the schedule and confidentiality issues. Accordingly, you must consider the particular rules and court guide provisions in the forum where your claim is proceeding when drawing up the Tomlin order...
Date [ date ] Parties [ name of Landlord ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Landlord) [ name of Tenant ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Tenant) [ [ name of Guarantor ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Guarantor) ] [ [ name of Mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Mortgagee) ] Definitions Within this Deed, the terms below shall be interpreted as follows: [ Annual Rent • the annual sum reserved under the Lease; ] [ Insurance Rent • the Tenant’s share of the Landlord’s costs of insuring the Property (as set out in the Lease); ] Lease • the lease of the Property dated [ date ], entered into between (1) [ the Landlord OR [ name ...
I, [ name ], of [ address ], solemnly and sincerely state that: [ Matters to be verified, set out in numbered paragraphs ] I make this solemn statement in good conscience, believing it to be true, and pursuant to the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. DECLARED at [ details ] this [ day ] day of [ month and year ] Before me ................................................................................ [ signature of the person before whom the declaration is made ] A [ commissioner for oaths OR [ solicitor OR [ insert other qualification ] ] authorised to administer oaths ]...
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