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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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The General Court has partly allowed a challenge to the Commission’s decision on Credit Suisse’s involvement in a spot-trading cartel, cutting the penalty after identifying mistakes in its calculation... It delivered its judgment in Case T-84/22, UBS Group and Others v Commission, brought against the infringement decision that found Credit Suisse had taken part in the foreign exchange spot-trading cartel ( AT.40135). The General Court upheld the action in part... Background On 2 December 2021, the Commission announced that five banks had participated in a cartel in the Spot Foreign Exchange ( Forex) market for G10 currencies, contrary to Article 101 TFEU: Barclays RBS HSBC UBS Credit Suisse UBS also took part in the cartel but obtained full immunity from fines under the Commission’s leniency policy......
Mergers UMG/ Downtown referred to phase II The Commission has escalated to phase II its review of Universal Music Group’s ( UMG) planned takeover of Downtown Music Holdings ( Downtown) ( M.11956). The case reached the Commission via a referral under Article 22(1) EUMR first requested by the Netherlands and subsequently supported by Austria. UMG operates worldwide across recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual media. Downtown is an international music business delivering artist and label ( A& L) solutions to independent record companies and to artists, notably via its FUGA distribution platform......
NSI Act Government consults on proposed reforms to the NSI Act 2021 mandatory notification regime The UK Government has opened a consultation on changes to the National Security and Investment Act 2021 ( Notifiable Acquisition) ( Specification of Qualifying Entities) Regulations 2021 (the NARs), which determine when a mandatory notification is required under the NSI Act. This follows the Government’s 2024 statutory review and prior engagement with stakeholders through the 2023 Call for Evidence. The package sets out targeted refinements to keep the regime proportionate and effective at capturing national security risks in sensitive areas of the UK economy, whilst ensuring the overwhelming majority of deals proceed unaffected. Key proposals include: New standalone mandatory notification areas: creation of distinct categories for Semiconductors and Critical Minerals, both currently within the Advanced Materials sector; and relocating Computing Hardware, now a standalone sector, into the...
Competition policy Government publishes final report of the Independent Water Commission; Ofwat to be abolished The Independent Water Commission ( IWC) has released the Cunliffe Report, its concluding review of the regulatory framework overseeing the water industry in England and Wales, presenting 88 proposals intended to reshape regulation and enhance the sector’s performance, efficiency and operation across the region overall......
Antitrust The application has been made public in Case C- 341/25 Sintexcal, a preliminary request from Italy asking whether, among other matters, Article 101 TFEU and Directive ( EU) 2019/1 bar domestic rules that set inflexible procedural deadlines for launching competition investigations, which could trigger automatic annulment or place the evidential burden on the enforcement authorities even where no concrete prejudice to rights of defence is shown—see further, application. NOTE— For all live national references before the Court of Justice, see further, Court of Justice national references—ongoing cases tracker State aid The application has been published in Case C- 309/25 Enefit Green, a national reference from Latvia seeking guidance on whether, inter alia, a measure granted to a State-owned company constitutes State aid under Article 107(1) TFEU, particularly in light of the private market operator principle, the notion of economic advantage, and the treatment of public...
Mergers The CMA initiated its phase 1 inquiry and published its invitation to comment in relation to the anticipated acquisition by Rebids U. K....
Mergers Commission issues SO for potential breaches of Articles 4, 7 and 8 EUMR in Vivendi/ Lagardère merger The Commission has sent a statement of objections to Vivendi S. A., setting out its preliminary view that Vivendi failed to meet the notification requirement ( Article 4 EUMR) and the standstill obligation ( Article 7 EUMR), and did not respect the conditions and obligations linked to the Commission’s 9 June 2023 decision clearing the Vivendi/ Lagardère ( M.10433) deal ( Article 8 EUMR). Both companies are French global media and entertainment groups. Vivendi operates in: television and cinema ( Canal+Group) book publishing ( Editis) magazines ( Prisma Media) video games ( Gameloft) advertising ( Havas Group) Lagardère S. A. is active in: book publishing ( Hachette) travel retail ( Lagardère Travel Retail) press and radio ( Europe 1) live...
Mergers The Commission: granted conditional approval for Munhowen S. A. to obtain sole control of Boissons Heintz S.à.r.l....
In this issue: UK mergers UK antitrust UK subsidy control UK competition policy EU antitrust EU mergers EU State aid EU market studies New and updated content Daily and weekly news alerts Caselex UK mergers Government consults on further changes to the draft Enterprise Act 2002 ( Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) ( No 2) Regulations The Department for Culture, Media and Sport ( DCMS) has published a consultation on proposed further amendments to the Enterprise Act 2002 ( Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2025 (the Regulations). Through changes to the Enterprise Act 2002, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 introduced a foreign state intervention ( FSI) regime for newspapers and periodic news magazines, preventing foreign state ownership, control, or influence over these...
Mergers Government consults on further changes to the draft Enterprise Act 2002 ( Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) ( No 2) Regulations The Department for Culture, Media and Sport ( DCMS) has published a consultation setting out proposed further changes to the Enterprise Act 2002 ( Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2025 (the Regulations). Through amendments to the Enterprise Act 2002, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 established a foreign state intervention ( FSI) regime for newspapers and periodic news magazines. That regime bars foreign states from owning, controlling, or exerting influence over newspapers and news magazines. The Regulations would put into effect the government’s decision to create limited exceptions to the FSI regime. Under those carve-outs, defined state-owned investors ( SOIs) would be able to hold up to 15% of the shares or voting rights in UK...
Competition policy Commission publishes external report setting out the results of market study on competition in online payments sector in the EEA An external report presenting the findings of a market inquiry into competition in online payments (electronic payments by consumers to merchants for goods and services bought online) has been published by the Commission. It assesses how strong competition is across the EEA online payments sector, concentrating on 14 countries within its scope of review. It looks at the leading payment methods in use and principal providers offering them during the period 2018–2022......
Subsidy control Government publishes direction disapplying the Subsidy Control Act 2022 to the Clean Energy Car Grant Scheme The Department for Business and Trade has issued a direction, dated 13 July 2025 and signed by the Secretary of State, which disapplies sections 52 to 55 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 in relation to the Clean Energy Car Grant Scheme. The Clean Energy Car Grant Scheme is a £650m initiative providing grants of up to £3,750 towards the purchase of new eligible electric cars......
Antitrust Commission issues first opinion on the compatibility of a sustainability agreement in the French wine sector with competition rules for agriculture The Commission has published its inaugural assessment of a sustainability accord in the French wine sector against EU competition rules for agriculture. The arrangement, bringing together producers and purchasers of organic and Haute Valeur Environnementale ( HVE) wines in the Occitanie region, establishes indicative (orientation) prices to steer bulk regional wine deals. Its purpose is to promote sustainable production by making sure prices meet costs and include a reasonable profit margin. Background and context Article 210a of Regulation ( EU) No 1308/2013 ( CMO Regulation) grants a sector-specific derogation, or exemption, from certain key competition rules for the agricultural sector, acknowledging that cooperation among producers can be both necessary and beneficial for market efficiency, overall product quality, and...
Subsidy control The Government publishes the Subsidy Control ( Subsidies and Schemes of Interest or Particular Interest) ( Amendment) Regulations 2025 The Subsidy Control ( Subsidies and Schemes of Interest or Particular Interest) ( Amendment) Regulations 2025 ( SI 2025/845) (the Regulations) have been issued alongside an explanatory memorandum. Finalised on 10 July 2025, they will take effect from 4 August 2025. The Regulations put into effect a decision announced by the government in April 2025, following consultation on potential refinements to the subsidy control regime......
Mergers Commission sends Italy a preliminary assessment under Article 21 of the EUMR regarding conditions imposed on the acquisition of BPM by Uni Credit The Commission stated that it has forwarded a letter to Italy setting out its preliminary assessment that a Decree issued by the Italian Prime Minister, imposing specific obligations on the entity formed through Uni Credit S.p. A.’s ( Uni Credit) acquisition of Banco BPM S.p. A. ( BPM), may infringe Article 21 EUMR as well as other provisions of EU law. Under Article 21 EUMR, concentrations with an EU dimension fall within the Commission’s exclusive jurisdiction. As a result, Member States must not enforce their national rules on such transactions and may only adopt suitable measures to safeguard legitimate interests, provided those measures comply with EU law. Any actions other than those protecting the legitimate interests of public...
Mergers The Commission approved the acquisition of joint control over Island Energy Investor Holdings LLC by Fortress Investment Group LLC and First Reserve Management LP ( M.12048) following a phase I review—see also, Midday Express. The Commission has received notification of Helvetia/ Baloise ( M.12003) under the simplified merger procedure. Note— For all ongoing merger enquiries before the Commission, see the EU mergers—ongoing cases tracker. Upcoming dates— For schedules of forthcoming EU competition developments, see EU Competition calendar......
Antitrust Court of Appeal’s judgment dismissing Phones4U’s appeal regarding allegations of collusion against EE, Vondafone and O2 The Court of Appeal delivered its judgment in Phones 4U Ltd v EE Ltd & Ors, determining an appeal from the High Court’s decision that had dismissed a standalone claim issued by Phone4U Limited ( Phones 4U) against a number of UK mobile network operators ( MNOs) and their parent companies. Phones 4U alleged infringements of Article 101 TFEU and the Chapter I prohibition under the Competition Act 1998, contending there was coordination to cease dealing with it. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal in full. Background Phones 4U was one of the two leading retail intermediaries for mobile telephones in the UK until it went into administration in September 2014. Its collapse followed decisions by three MNOs not to renew contracts for the supply of...
In this issue: UK private actions UK antitrust EU antitrust EU Digital markets EU State aid Lex Talk®Competition: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Caselex UK private actions Court of Appeal rejects challenges to the CAT’s decisions on third‑party litigation funding arrangements supporting collective claims against Apple, Sony, Visa and Mastercard. In Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd v Alex Neill Class Representative, the Court of Appeal resolved appeals in four distinct collective competition damages actions, upholding the CAT’s approval of amended funding agreements that had been revised following the Supreme Court’s judgment in PACCAR. Background On 26 July 2023, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in R (on the application of PACCAR Inc) v Competition Appeal Tribunal. That ruling stemmed from disputes over the litigation funding arrangements used by class...
Competition policy CMA publishes Annual Report 2024 to 2025 The CMA has released its Annual Report and Accounts for 2024 to 2025. It sets out the activities the CMA carried out over the previous financial year, including an assessment of how it is helping to drive economic growth. The report highlights that, over the past year, the CMA has woven the government’s growth priorities throughout its programme of work. It has also brought in the “4Ps” framework — pace, predictability, proportionality and process — reshaping the way it operates......
Antitrust AG issues opinion concerning national reference from Bulgaria in essential facilities case involving LUKOIL Bulgaria AG Medina delivered her opinion in Case C-245/24, LUKOIL Bulgaria and LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas, concerning a national reference from Bulgaria seeking guidance on the interpretation of Article 102 TFEU in relation to an alleged denial of access to an essential facility. Background LUKOIL Bulgaria EOOD ( Lukoil Bulgaria), an oil distributor, and LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas AD ( Lukoil Burgas), an oil producer (together, the Lukoil group), were addressees of a 2022 decision by the Bulgarian national competition authority ( NCA). The NCA found that the Lukoil group had infringed Article 102 TFEU and parallel Bulgarian provisions by abusing a dominant position on the market for the storage of automotive fuels. The Lukoil group is the largest authorised warehouse keeper of fuels and the leading operator on the wholesale and retail markets for those...
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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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