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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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This piece explores what that ruling means broadly for practitioners. According to the FCA, from December 2021 to September 2023, over that period, machines run by Osunkoya at several sites handled crypto transactions amounting in all to £2.6m. The message is unmistakable: the watchdog is tightening its grip on crypto activity linked to money laundering. The FCA has stated this marks its first criminal case concerning unregistered cryptoasset operations under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds ( Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017. In the last two years, the authority has visited dozens of premises believed to host crypto ATMs, and said only last month that no crypto ATM operator is lawfully operating in the UK. Therese Chambers, the FCA’s joint executive director for enforcement and market oversight, commented: ‘ If you’re using a crypto ATM, you are handing your money...
The UK Treasury is currently examining numerous alleged breaches of Russian oil sanctions introduced after the invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. The move follows fears that firms are skirting measures intended to suppress Russia’s oil earnings. The UK’s Treasury, which is responsible for ensuring the enforcement of sanctions, has confirmed it has launched 37 inquiries into suspected violations linked to an oil price cap. It is understood these investigations are not confined to UK companies alone, but also extend to cases with a UK nexus, rather than relating specifically to domestic businesses only in scope overall......
The steel magnate is being prosecuted for purportedly not lodging account copies with Companies House for 76 firms across his group, according to the registry’s statement. Gupta has been charged together with directors Iain Hunter, Deepak Sogani, Jeffrey Kabel and Jeffrey Stein. All have entered not guilty pleas to criminal offences under sections 441 and 451(2) of the Companies Act 2006 at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court. The Financial Times first disclosed the case, according to the paper. A conviction could lead the court to levy a fine or pursue disqualification as company directors from office......
On 9 October 2024, the FCA noted that firms it regulates frequently act on instructions to execute trades from so-called aggregated accounts, which, while offering legitimate benefits such as streamlined administration, can also create risks if not properly controlled and monitored. Such arrangements can, in some circumstances, facilitate market abuse, where a single actor harms other investors, for example by purchasing shares using information that has not been made public. In its latest Market Watch newsletter, the FCA reported a rise in suspected market abuse in leveraged equity instruments linked to aggregated accounts managed by firms located overseas, particularly in jurisdictions where controls to deter market abuse may not effectively match those overseen by the FCA. Leveraged equity products depend on modest sums of capital being......
In this issue: Investigating criminal conduct Criminal procedure and evidence Proceeds of crime Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Consumer protection and cartels Environmental offences Financial services and pensions offences Food safety and hygiene offences Fraud, forgery, tax and theft offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences International Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Investigating criminal conduct Home Office issues guidance on Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act The Home Office has released guidance on the information-sharing measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 ( ECCTA 2023). It outlines provisions to help ensure businesses comply with the new measures, together with practical points for organisations, including arrangements for cross-sector sharing, obligations for law...
Six former Glencore executives face a criminal trial on corruption charges in June 2027 following their appearances at a UK court today After appearing at London’s Southwark Crown Court today, six ex- Glencore executives were informed they will stand trial on corruption allegations in June 2027. Charges brought by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office in August 2024 claim the men arranged corrupt payments in West Africa. Presiding judge Tony Baumgartner stated that each defendant will face a six-month hearing at the same court, commencing on 1 June 2027......
What does the Bill do? The Bill is concise, comprising 14 clauses, and comes with fuller Explanatory Notes. Its modest length masks the extensive enabling powers it would confer. In essence, it equips the Secretary of State ( So S) with broad authority to make future secondary legislation across the OPSS’s remit—product regulation, product safety and metrology. It would permit the creation and enforcement of new product rules and obligations, and allow amendment or repeal of specified existing laws. Strikingly, there is no explicit duty to consult prior to using these powers. As to scope, the framework would span most consumer goods—such as toys, cosmetics and machinery—matching the OPSS’s current remit. A schedule lists excluded categories, including medicines, medical devices and food. Three core areas of focus emerge from the Bill and supporting materials: Adapting to new technology: the government wants the UK regime to be...
ENRC settles case with SFO Counsel for the Kazakh mining group informed High Court judge Simon Bryan that ENRC has resolved its action against the white-collar crime prosecutor, ex-official John Gibson, and serving investigator Antony Puddick. The SFO had scrutinised ENRC for ten years over alleged bribery and corruption in Africa. However, during that probe, the company issued proceedings against the SFO. It alleged that serving and former SFO investigators leaked briefings to media outlets between 2016 and 2020 about the trajectory of the agency’s corruption inquiry into the mining group, to shore up backing for a faltering case. Agreement was reached after the opposing sides secured an adjournment of the six-week London trial due to begin on 7 October 2024, enabling them to finalise settlement terms, including undisclosed commercial provisions. The accord brings to a close one of two civil claims by ENRC...
From 7 October 2024, UK payment firms moved under a fresh regime that compels them to reimburse fraud victims. For consumers, it feels reassuring, but it also marks a material shift in responsibility for providers. It sounds like a tidy fix for customers fatigued by relentless would‑be scammers, yet what liability do banks and payment companies actually bear? In brief, they must repay the great bulk of people duped into transferring funds to criminals via Authorised Push Payment ( APP) scams. In practice, that covers most instances where a person is coaxed into authorising a transfer to a fraudster. Banks and payment providers secured a notable win only weeks ago, persuading the Payment Systems Regulator ( PSR) to cut the maximum reimbursement from £415,000. Under the PSR’s final framework, APP fraud victims can claim up to £85,000. The payer’s provider, which sent the funds, and the...
By contrast, domestic corruption matters are frequently reviewed on appeal all the way up to and including the highest court in the land—often trimming prosecutors’ scope to use federal statutes to charge certain domestic behaviour that many would, in everyday terms, regard as corrupt conduct. At the same time, more individuals are taking FCPA cases to trial and being convicted on those counts. For example, most recently, Glenn Oztemel was found guilty by a jury in the US District Court for the District of Connecticut on 26 September 2024 on FCPA charges brought against him. Against that backdrop, a natural question is what effect, if any, a narrowing of domestic corruption statutes might have on the FCPA, should an FCPA case ultimately reach the Supreme Court. In this article, we assess the potential application of three recent Supreme Court decisions to the FCPA...
The new offence does not target individuals: Individuals are not the direct focus of the new offence; they can already face proceedings under statutes such as the Bribery Act 2020 or the Fraud Act 2006. Where a company commits a crime with the demonstrated 'consent or connivance' of a senior member of staff, that person can, in some cases, be culpable as well. Lawyers caution that corporates likely to be charged with the 'failure to prevent fraud' offence may try to strike arrangements with prosecutors to avert a trial—a deferred prosecution agreement ( DPA). A common term of a DPA is that the business assists in the prosecution of individuals. Once the 'failure to prevent fraud' offence takes effect, we should expect an uptick in formal fraud investigations by the Serious Fraud Office, said Daren Allen, a partner at Shoosmiths LLP. He also...
The launch of OTSI is accompanied by legislative changes to the UK's sanctions enforcement framework via the Trade, Aircraft and Shipping Sanctions ( Civil Enforcement) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/948. The most significant changes are as follows: OTSI gains authority to levy civil fines for certain breaches of trade sanctions. Penalties may reach £1 million per contravention, or 50% of the breach’s value if higher, and can be imposed on a strict liability footing. These reforms do not cover infringements involving the movement of goods across the UK’s borders, or those relating to military and dual‑use goods; such matters stay solely with HMRC under the existing criminal penalties regime. Nor do the new measures apply to violations of the Russian Oil Price cap or to internet‑related sanctions concerning Russia and Belarus. OTSI will take on selected trade licensing...
The court found In three distinct cases brought by the Belgian and French bar associations, the court determined that the EU’s ban on supplying legal advisory services to the Russian government or entities established there does not undermine the fundamental right to obtain legal advice from a lawyer. The judges held that the restriction does not apply to services strictly necessary to exercise the right of defence in judicial proceedings and to ensure an effective legal remedy. Consequently, legal counsel connected to judicial, administrative, or arbitral proceedings falls outside the scope of the prohibition, meaning only non-contentious matters remain barred......
In this issue: Criminal procedure and evidence Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Cybercrime and data protection offences Environmental offences Financial services and pensions offences Food safety and hygiene offences Fraud, forgery, tax and theft offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Insolvency offences and Companies Act offences Local authority prosecutions Lex Talk®Corporate Crime: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers New Q& As Useful information Criminal procedure and evidence Government stops commencement of new assimilated law court procedures The government has laid an instrument that cancels commencement of section 6 of the Retained EU Law ( Revocation and Reform) Act 2023. Consequently, the planned court procedures for assimilated law will not take effect as first...
In September 2024, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI) issued a £15,000 fine to a concierge and management firm that processed property transactions connected to a designated individual — the first instance of the regulator penalising a company for a Russia sanctions breach. Many observers and commentators thought OFSI would treat this watershed sanction as a warning shot to head off future violations. However, the authority has used the case to spotlight compliance lessons arising from Integral Concierge Service’s missteps. “ The core message that businesses should take sanctions seriously and install measures to curb their risks is indeed sound, and penalties are needed to keep that message current,” said John Binns, a partner at BCL Solicitors. OFSI’s tone is practical, notable from a regulator whose perceived lack of zeal for enforcement has prompted criticism of its appetite for...
What were the key findings of the report? The report portrays the threat landscape as largely unchanged from 2020, emphasising the significant similarity, in particular, with the previous assessment over the period reviewed. It highlights how people with legitimate positions and duties across parts of the food chain can use insider knowledge to exploit system weaknesses, both to carry out and to conceal food offences. It further observes that some who commit food crime are also engaged in other criminality, including drugs and violence. Ongoing risks to the UK food supply chain are attributed to illicit activity abroad as well as wrongdoing within the UK. Since 2020, fresh themes have surfaced, including: economic pressures affecting businesses and consumers alike supply chain disruption linked to global events changes to food importation practices local authority resourcing issues shifts in understanding of food criminal profiles, activity and networks......
Sarah Pritchard, the FCA's executive director for supervision, stated that policy proposals would come after the publication of a report on misconduct cases in both the wholesale banking and insurance markets in the year 2023. The insurance sector, traditionally dominated by men, has faced a series of scandals in recent years amid claims of sexual harassment and bullying. In 2023 the FCA conducted a survey into instances of non-financial misconduct involving wholesale brokers (an intermediary between a retail broker and an insurer), banks and insurers. Pritchard remarked during a live-streamed annual general meeting of the......
Health & safety executive enforcement trends Under its strategy through to 2032, the HSE will prioritise action on the most significant health and safety challenges, placing particular emphasis on better workplace health. Protecting workers from physical harm has long been central to the HSE’s mission, and its performance in this sphere is widely regarded as a global benchmark. That approach has helped ensure Great Britain records some of Europe’s lowest rates of fatal and non‑fatal occupational injury. Yet, the regulator’s latest figures indicate—once again—that work‑related ill health is increasing; stress, depression and anxiety remain the leading reasons for absence across Great Britain. In 2023, about 1.8 million people reported a work‑related illness. Of these, 875,000 workers experienced stress, depression or anxiety attributable to their jobs, while 473,000 suffered musculoskeletal disorders associated with their work. To assist employers in tackling these problems, the HSE has...
The official corporate registrar warned indeed that companies which do not keep up with their filing duties could face financial sanctions. They might also be subject to civil proceedings, the disqualification of directors and, in more serious cases, criminal prosecution. The refreshed regime forms part of the work to implement the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 ( ECCTA 2023), which became law in October 2023 and introduced tougher new measures to strengthen prosecutors’ hands and curb the flow of illicit money. Martin Swain, director of intelligence and law enforcement liaison at Companies House, said the registrar will 'take a consistent and proportionate approach to these new powers to enforce the law firmly, but fairly'.......
What are the overall objectives and aims of this Bill? The Terrorism ( Protection of Premises) Bill is often referred to as ‘ Martyn’s Law’ or the ‘ Protect Duty’. Martyn Hett, along with 21 others, tragically died in the Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May 2017. Over the past seven years, his mother, Figen Murray, has campaigned relentlessly for rules requiring venues that could be attractive targets for terrorism to evaluate the threat posed by terrorism, adopt reasonable steps to mitigate risk, and maintain robust arrangements to respond if an attack occurs, should such an attack take place. The draft legislation has been clearly shaped by the conclusions of the Manchester Arena Public Inquiry. Its purpose is to lessen the vulnerability of qualifying premises and events to terrorist acts and to reduce the chance of physical harm to members of the public arising from such...
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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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