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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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Mergers Constellation Developments Limited/ ABVR Holding Limited cleared after phase 2; failing firm defence accepted The CMA has published its final phase 2 report, granting conditional clearance to the already-completed purchase by Constellation Developments Limited ( Constellation) of ABVR Holdings Limited ( Aston Barclay), following an in-depth inquiry. Constellation sits within a broader group involved in used-car remarketing and retail throughout the UK and Europe. It owns British Car Auctions Limited ( BCA), a business-to-business ( B2B) auction platform for used vehicles, and We Buy Any Car Limited (trading as webuyanycar), a consumer car-buying service. Aston Barclay likewise provides B2B vehicle auction services in the UK and runs a car-buying operation via The Car Buying Group. The CMA upheld its provisional view that the deal has not led, and is unlikely to lead, to a substantial lessening of competition in the supply of B2B used...
Mergers The Commission has received notifications concerning: MEF/ Retelit/ Telecom Italia Sparkle ( M.11992) — this transaction was re-notified after the second notification was withdrawn on 22/01/2026 — normal merger procedure Glencore/ Fincoenergies ( M.12300) — simplified merger procedure NOTE— For all live merger investigations before the Commission, see the EU mergers—ongoing cases tracker State aid The General Court heard Case T-258/24, Scandlines Danmark and Others v Commission, an action seeking annulment of the Commission’s decisions in State aid Cases SA.52162 — State aid in favour of the Øresund Bridge Consortium ( Denmark) — and SA.52617 — State aid in favour of the Øresund Bridge Consortium ( Sweden) — see the application NOTE— For all live State aid appeals before the General Court, see the General Court State aid appeals—ongoing cases tracker Upcoming dates For dates of forthcoming EU competition developments, see the EU...
Competition policy CMA publishes blog on AI and collusion The CMA has released a blog titled ' AI and collusion: frontiers, opportunities and challenges', setting out its latest thinking on the competitive implications of ever more advanced algorithmic pricing and predictive AI. The CMA observed that it has been scrutinising algorithmic pricing for a number of years; however, the emergence of low-cost, high-powered AI tools that can guide or even automate pricing decisions has intensified both the opportunities and the risks for competition. It recognised that such tools can create efficiencies, including swifter decision-making, reduced costs and more personalised prices, yet also cautioned that they may enable anti-competitive outcomes......
State aid Commission launches call for evidence regarding revising State aid rules in the form of guarantees The Commission has opened a call for evidence to revise the 2008 Guarantee Notice, following a 2025 evaluation highlighting gaps in the current approach to assessing State aid delivered via guarantees. That review indicated that changes in financial markets and regulation may, in some cases, have led to consistent undervaluation of market‑conform premiums, producing aid not accounted for, while the fixed SME ‘safe‑harbour’ premiums can overstate aid or impose unnecessarily high charges. The 2008 Guarantee Notice also sets out guidance for quantifying amounts in State guarantees, streamlined rules for SMEs, including predefined ‘safe‑harbour’ premiums, and frameworks for structuring aid‑free guarantee schemes for all companies......
Private actions CAT issues judgment on validity of opt-in notification in collective proceedings brought by Commercial and Interregional Card Claims against Mastercard and Visa The CAT has delivered its ruling on whether an opt-in notification was valid in collective proceedings brought against Mastercard and Visa. The decision arises in Commercial and Interregional Cards Claims I Limited v Mastercard Inc and others, Commercial and Interregional Cards Claims II Limited v Mastercard Inc and others, Commercial and Interregional Cards Claims I Limited v Visa Inc, and Commercial and Interregional Cards Claims II Limited v Visa Inc. The proceedings were advanced by Commercial and Interregional Card Claims I Limited ( CICC I) and Commercial and Interregional Card Claims II Limited ( CICC II) under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998, with both defendants named in parallel...
Merger control Commission publishes Competition Merger Brief: February 2026 On 27 February 2026, the Commission released Issue 1/2026 of its Competition Merger Brief, setting out DG Competition’s assessment of recent merger matters. This issue spotlights Brasserie Nationale/ Boissons Heintz ( M.11485), a case that obtained conditional clearance at Phase I in July 2025 after concerns that uniting the two leading beverage wholesalers serving on-trade customers in Luxembourg could trigger price rises, limit choice, and create foreclosure risks......
Competition policy Doug Gurr confirmed as the new Chair of the CMA The Department for Business and Trade, together with the CMA, has confirmed the formal appointment of Doug Gurr as the CMA’s permanent Chair, following his stint as interim Chair in January 2025 and his selection as the preferred candidate in January 2026. The confirmation came after a pre-appointment hearing before the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee (the Committee). In its findings, the Committee voiced unease that the hiring exercise yielded just a single appointable applicant, thereby constraining the Secretary of State’s options. While the Committee judged that Mr Gurr demonstrates the requisite professional capability and independence for the position as it is presently defined, it also proposed several safeguards to address the risks it perceived......
Antitrust AG proposes dismissal of Meta appeals against Commission information requests in Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Data investigations Advocate General ( AG) Rantos has presented his opinion in Cases C‑496/23 P, Meta Platforms Ireland v Commission ( Facebook Marketplace), and C‑497/23 P, Meta Platforms Ireland v Commission ( Facebook Data). These appeals contest the General Court’s judgments in Cases T‑451/20 and T‑452/20, which rejected applications seeking annulment of Commission information requests issued amid concerns of abuse of a dominant position by the Facebook group, regarding the running of its social network platform ( AT.40684) and the handling of Facebook data ( AT.40628). The AG advises the Court of Justice to throw out Meta’s appeals and to uphold the General Court’s decisions. Background The appeals relate to two Commission decisions taken in 2020 under Article 18(3) of Regulation 1/2003, as part of probes into suspected abuse of...
Private actions Court of Appeal issues judgment refusing permission to appeal against CAT certification of Hammond and Stephan collection actions against Amazon The Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in Professor Andreas Stephan v Amazon. Com, Inc & Ors, addressing Amazon group ( Amazon) challenging the CAT’s refusal of permission to appeal against the CAT’s July 2025 joint certification judgment. That ruling had approved the separate applications by Robert Hammond (the Hammond Action) and Professor Andreas Stephan (the Stephan Action) to bring collective proceedings against Amazon. Both claims pursue damages under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998 for alleged abuse of dominance by Amazon in running Amazon Marketplace in the UK, encompassing allegations of self-preferencing in favour of Amazon Retail and anti-competitive design and operation of the Fulfilled by Amazon ( FBA) and Buy Box...
Digital Markets Act General Court dismisses action challenging Commission refusal of access to DMA designation documents In Case T-433/23, Batchelor v Commission, the General Court delivered its judgment on a challenge brought by Edward William Batchelor to the Commission’s decision of 2 June 2024. That decision, adopted pursuant to Regulation 1049/2001, declined access to internal materials concerning Byte Dance’s designation as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act ( DMA) (the Commission’s 2024 decision). The Court rejected the application in its entirety... Background Following Byte Dance’s notification under Article 3(3) DMA, the Commission, on 5 September 2023, designated Byte Dance as a gatekeeper. Byte Dance subsequently filed an action for annulment before the General Court. In parallel, the applicant requested internal communications, minutes, notes and presentations prepared during the pre-notification stage and for the designation decision. The Commission refused disclosure, relying on the...
Private actions CAT issues ruling refusing permission to appeal claim alleging competition law breaches by Faculty of Advocates Services The CAT issued its ruling in Mr Patrick Mc Auley v Faculty of Advocates Services Ltd, considering Mr Mc Auley’s request for permission to appeal the CAT’s judgment of 25 October 2025, which had struck out his claim under section 47A of the Competition Act 1998 against Faculty of Advocates Services Ltd (the defendant). The ruling also addressed Mr Mc Auley’s application under Rule 114(3) of the CAT Rules for corrections, together with the defendant’s bid for its expenses in the proceedings, to be taxed by the Auditor of the Court of Session (the CAT’s 2025 judgment). Mr Mc Auley alleges the defendant infringed the Chapter I and Chapter II prohibitions of the Competition Act 1998 by refusing to take instructions to act for him in two...
Competition policy European Parliament publishes resolution on the Commission’s 2024 Competition Policy Report Appearing in the Official Journal, the resolution outlines the Parliament’s appraisal of the Commission’s latest enforcement actions and its overarching strategic course. It advances a suite of political proposals intended to steer the development of EU competition rules over the next years. The Parliament stresses that competition policy must tangibly support the Union’s broader priorities, notably sustainability, the energy transition, defence, and digitalisation. It also underscores how competition enforcement and state aid scrutiny underpin the EU’s competitiveness and capacity to withstand shocks, including as a reaction to worldwide industrial policy shifts. These orientations aim to reinforce resilience while aligning with evolving global market dynamics and challenges......
Private actions CAT issues judgment on strike-out application and expert evidence in collective damages action brought by Ad Tech against Google The CAT has delivered its ruling in Ad Tech Collection Action LLP v Alphabet Inc. & Others, a collective damages claim brought by Ad Tech Collective Action LLP ( Ad Tech) pursuant to section 47 of the Competition Act 1998, against Alphabet Inc, Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited and Google UK Limited (collectively, Google), alleging that Google has infringed Article 102 of the TFEU and the Chapter II prohibition in the Competition Act 1998, regarding the sale of digital display advertising......
Competition policy Doug Gurr selected as preferred candidate for Chair of CMA The Department for Business and Trade and the CMA confirmed that the Secretary of State has named Doug Gurr as his preferred choice to remain as Chair of the CMA for a five-year term, after an open recruitment exercise. Mr Gurr has acted as interim Chair since January 2025, succeeding Marcus Bokkerink. The appointment is contingent on a pre-appointment hearing, set for 24 February 2026, when the Business and Trade Secretary will assess Mr Gurr’s suitability. If approved, the appointment would ensure continuity at the helm of the CMA during a period of substantial reform of the UK’s competition and digital markets regime. See further, the press release Mergers — The CMA has opened its invitation to comment in relation to the completed acquisition by Société LDC SA of Green Label...
Mergers The Commission approved: the acquisition for shared control of Neo Next Energy Limited by Total Energies S. E., Repsol S. A., and Hitec Vision A. S......
Foreign Subsidies Regulation Commission publishes summary of consultation responses on review of FSR The Commission has released a synopsis of input submitted to its public consultation concerning the continuing assessment of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation ( FSR). These insights will feed into the Commission’s review report for the European Parliament and the Council, scheduled for publication later this year under the FSR. The consultation took place between August and November 2025, alongside a concurrent call for evidence. The Commission gathered over 50 submissions, which have been placed in the public domain......
In this issue: UK mergers UK private actions EU mergers EU antitrust Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Caselex UK mergers Secretary of State issues public interest intervention notice in Daily Mail and General Trust’s proposed acquisition of the Telegraph Media Group The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice ( PIIN) concerning Daily Mail and General Trust plc’s planned acquisition of Telegraph Media Group Holdings Limited ( TMGH), owner of the Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. This action follows her earlier indication of an intention to intervene and confirms her assessment that a relevant merger situation could arise under the Enterprise Act 2002 ( En A 2002). The PIIN is grounded in media plurality public interest considerations under En A 2002, s 58(2B) and (2C). These cover the...
Antitrust Commission publishes consultation responses on review of Regulation 1/2003 The Commission has released an overview of feedback submitted to its public consultation on the ongoing assessment of Regulation 1/2003, the procedural framework that underpins the enforcement of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU. Launched on 10 July 2025, the exercise included both a questionnaire and a call for evidence to gather input. The Commission received more than 80 submissions from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, and the individual contributions have been made available to the public at large to view......
Private actions CAT rules on pass-on in MIF Umbrella Proceedings The CAT issued judgment in Umbrella Interchange Fee Claimants v Umbrella Interchange Fee Defendants and proceedings ([2026] CAT 11), addressing issues of merchant pass-on ( MPO) and acquirer pass-on ( APO) in the long‑running multilateral interchange fee ( MIF) claims between merchants and Visa and Mastercard (the Defendants). This ruling relates to Trial 2 of the proceedings. At Trial 1 ([2025] CAT 37), the CAT held there was an infringement of Article 101(1) TFEU. Whether an exemption under Article 101(3) TFEU applies will be considered at Trial 3. Background These actions sit within the MIF Umbrella Proceedings, through which merchants pursue damages for allegedly unlawful MIFs embedded in the merchant service charge ( MSC)......
Mergers The Commission has authorised: Ardian France S. A.’s acquisition of exclusive control of Energia Group Limited ( M.12196) following a phase I investigation—see further in Midday Express the acquisition conferring exclusive control of Blohm + Voss B. V. & Co. ......
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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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