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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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Igors Veliks, formerly at Playtech, and his current employer, Realtime Latvia, persuaded the appeal court that the betting company lacks any entitlement to sue them in England. The judges held that any harm arising from the supposed commercial deception occurred beyond the UK, and they set aside a High Court ruling that had favoured Playtech. The court concluded that most of the loss said to stem from Veliks’ alleged misuse of trade secrets took place in Latvia, where Playtech is headquartered. As a result, assessment of damage falls to the Latvian courts, not to the English courts. Playtech maintained it had suffered a downturn in UK licensing income because of the alleged misappropriation of trade secrets, but the appeal court rejected that contention. The court noted: “ This pleading is concerned only with the indirect consequences for Playtech of the...
Proposed reforms unveiled by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on 20 November 2025 Shabana Mahmood’s plans introduce a new ‘baseline’ of ten years’ residency for settlement, doubling the current five-year requirement across most settlement routes. She has also floated an accelerated route for high earners, reducing the wait. Migrants with taxable income above £125,140 per year for three consecutive years would be eligible to settle in as little as three years. Meanwhile, keeping taxable income at £50,270 over the same three-year period would cut five years from the ten-year route, according to proposals set out in a consultation document published on 20 November 2025 and detailed within that paper. The consultation closes at 11:59 pm on 12 February 2026. To qualify at all, applicants must earn at least £12,570 per year—the threshold that triggers National Insurance...
House of Lords debate: Hansard 17 November 2025: Employment Rights Bill Peers voted 309 to 150 in favour of an amendment that would give employees unfair dismissal protection after six months, instead of permitting tribunal claims from a worker’s first day in post, thereby rejecting MPs’ version of the Bill once more. Andrew Sharpe, a Conservative peer and persistent opponent of the measure, again raised the prospect that jobs could evaporate if firms conclude that taking on staff is too risky. He stated that everyone with any grasp of wealth creation, private‑sector recruitment and employment law believes the Bill will result in higher unemployment. Sharpe also said the statute should place its emphasis on helping people who wish to re‑enter the workforce, as he has argued previously......
In this issue: Horizon scanning Tax Prohibited behaviour (discrimination, etc) Diversity and the gender pay gap Maternity, parents and carers Whistleblowing Health and safety Hybrid working Data protection and employee information Employment Tribunals Europe— EU Industrial Relations Law Reports ( IRLR)— December 2025 Dates for your diary Trackers New Q& As Employment resources on Lexis+® Lex Talk®Employment: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Horizon scanning Lords veto day-one unfair dismissal rights for third time. On 17 November 2025, the House of Lords backed changes to the Employment Rights Bill to scrap day-one unfair dismissal protections, derailing the government’s headline policy for a third time amid ongoing legislative ping-pong. Peers passed the amendment by 309 to 150, meaning workers gain unfair dismissal rights after six months rather than from...
What is the statement/consultation about? The UK Government has issued a policy paper detailing a major redesign of the framework and route to settlement in the UK as a whole, stating that permanent residence will hinge on compliance, integration, and a demonstrable contribution to national life. The 60‑page paper, laid before Parliament on 20 November 2025, sets out a consultation on reforms that would shift the current settlement rules towards an ‘earned settlement’ approach and model. First trailed in the May 2025 Immigration White Paper, the consultation has been widely anticipated. The paper proposes notable changes to the eligibility criteria, qualifying period, and conditions under which migrants may obtain indefinite leave to remain. The consultation is open for twelve weeks and welcomes submissions and evidence from individuals and organisations. The reforms leave untouched grants of settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, the...
Rice v Wicked Vision ( Protect intervening) and Barton Turns Development Ltd v Treadwell [2025] EWCA Civ 1466 What are the practical implications of this judgment? The Court of Appeal has determined combined appeals addressing how claims available to whistleblowing employees under Part V and Part X of the ERA 1996 interrelate. The key question concerned the ambit of ERA 1996, ss 47B(1A) and 47B(1B), and the scope of the exclusion in ERA 1996, s 47B(2). In both matters, the issue was whether an employment tribunal fell into error when dealing with applications to amend unfair dismissal complaints to add detriment claims against co-workers arising out of the dismissal, advanced under ERA 1996, s 47B. The judgment resolves divergent EAT decisions and examines the binding effect of the Court of Appeal’s ruling in Osipov......
The Equality and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC) confirmed it has prolonged the legal arrangement that Mc Donald’s initially entered into in February 2023 (see: Mc Donald’s enters into section 23 agreement to protect staff from sexual harassment, LNB News 10/02/2023 11), alongside a ‘strengthened action plan’ aimed at ensuring the business ‘effectively prevents sexual harassment’. Under the revised plan, Mc Donald’s is required to conduct routine restaurant inspections, enhance its risk assessments and carry out quarterly staff surveys. Allegations involving managers must be examined away from its restaurants, and Mc Donald’s must commission external specialists to devise a safeguarding plan to implement across all locations. The continuation of monitoring suggests worries about the company’s response to workplace sexual harassment are graver than initially thought overall......
In this issue: Horizon scanning Immigration Prohibited behaviour (discrimination, etc) Workers’ rights to information and consultation Data protection and staff information TUPE and asset purchases Employment tribunals Europe— EU Dates for your diary Trackers Employment resources on Lexis+® Lex Talk® Employment: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Horizon scanning MPs stand firm on day-one unfair dismissal rights MPs have once more endorsed the Employment Rights Bill ( ERB) plan to give employees protection from unfair dismissal from their first day, voting on 5 November 2025 to overturn the House of Lords’ latest bid to derail the measure. The Commons divided 308 to 153, rejecting the Lords’ attempt to impose a six‑month qualifying period before staff could bring unfair dismissal claims, reaffirming the government’s flagship commitment amid further parliamentary ping‑pong on the ERB. Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden confirmed the government’s resolve to secure protection from the very start of employment. ‘ Not two years, not six months, but...
Secretary of State for Business and Trade v Sahonta [2025] EAT 166 What are the practical implications of this case? This EAT ruling clarifies that, where appropriate, appointing a provisional liquidator can amount to bankruptcy or comparable insolvency proceedings commenced with the objective of liquidating the transferor's assets, for the purposes of the Transfer of Undertakings ( Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 ( TUPE 2006), SI 2006/246, reg 8(7). That position triggers the disapplication of ( TUPE 2006), SI 2006/246, regs 4 and 7, which otherwise govern the transfer of employment and employees and the rule of automatic unfair dismissal. What was the background? ......
High Court judge Martin Spencer handed former ‘know your client’ analyst Damilare Ajao a 20-month term of imprisonment, finding that he knew his accusations of harassment, discrimination and sexual harassment were untrue. He firmly determined that a fine would not suffice for his contempt, and also expressly found that Ajao had inserted clearly fabricated entries into a diary to bolster his account. Judge Spencer concluded that Ajao had purposefully sought to deceive the court, noting that the German bank had established all of the allegations it brought. Ajao had faced proceedings for contempt of......
MPs defeated, by 308 votes to 153, a Lords proposal that would have required staff to serve six months before qualifying for protection against unfair dismissal, reaffirming the government’s flagship policy amid the latest bout of parliamentary ping-pong over the ERB. Employment rights minister Kate Dearden said the government is determined to provide unfair dismissal safeguards from the first day in a role. “ Not two years, not six months, but day-one,” she said. Dearden maintained that a six-month qualifying period would leave employees vulnerable to unfair dismissal during the opening months of employment......
In this issue: Immigration Prohibited conduct (discrimination etc) Diversity and gender pay gap Data protection and employee information Corporate Governance Financial services and banking: employment issues Employment Tribunals Dates for your diary Trackers Employment resources on Lexis+® Lex Talk®Employment: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Immigration Home Office announces increase in enforcement activity targeting illegal working The Home Office reports intensified action against unlawful working, undertaking more than 11,000 operations between October 2024 and September 2025. Through Operation Sterling, this activity produced over 8,000 arrests—a 63% uplift on the prior year—and led to the removal of upwards of 1,050 people from the UK who were found to be working without lawful authorisation. The department also indicates that a mandatory digital ID scheme will be in place before the end of the current...
Non-financial misconduct Sarah Pritchard, the FCA’s deputy chief executive, wrote in a letter published on 28 October 2025 that probes into so-called non-financial misconduct have climbed over the past three years. She told the House Commons Treasury Committee that conduct such as bullying, harassment or violence is a regulatory concern, and that when the FCA obtains reports or other intelligence indicating this is happening at a regulated firm, it will scrutinise the matter and take action where required. Non-financial misconduct is an expansive term, covering violence, bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination. The FCA has made clear that it intends to tackle this issue decisively......
On 28 October 2025, the EHRC announced it was concluding a two-year intervention after Ikea bolstered its handling of sexual harassment. John Kirkpatrick, the Commission’s Chief Executive, noted that Ikea had made significant progress, enhancing prevention and response to sexual harassment throughout the company’s operations across the whole business overall......
Coalitions have urged the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions to scrutinise the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC) and remove its highest accreditation. They argue the EHRC has failed in its responsibilities towards trans communities, potentially endangering other minorities as well. Chiara Capraro, gender justice programme director at Amnesty International UK, warned that trans people face an acute emergency, and that the EHRC’s neglect could also harm additional marginalised groups. She added that, amid a UK and worldwide surge in actors hostile to human rights, the country cannot tolerate a national human rights body that is unfit for purpose. Her remarks were issued in a statement, reiterating the call to examine the EHRC and its accreditation status......
In this issue Horizon scanning Immigration Protected characteristics Prohibited conduct (discrimination etc) Diversity and gender pay gap Whistleblowing Employee rights to be informed and consulted Data protection and employee information Financial services and banking: employment issues Grievances Issues arising on termination Employment Tribunals Dates for your diary Trackers New Q& As Employment resources on Lexis+® Lex Talk®Employment: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Horizon scanning House of Lords pings the Employment Rights Bill back to the House of Commons At what looked to be the concluding phase of the Employment Rights Bill’s journey through Parliament, the House of Lords on 28 October 2025 voted to return certain amendments to the Commons. Among these, the Lords backed a change to the unfair dismissal qualifying period: instead of...
Reynolds v Abel Estate Agent Ltd and others [2025] EWCA Civ 1357 In this commentary we refer to the ET Rules 2013, in force until 5 January 2025, and these were the rules operating at all relevant times in this case. For further details in full of the ET Rules 2024, which took effect on 6 January 2025, please see: Employment tribunal rules of procedure 2024—destination table [ Archived]. What are the practical implications of this judgment?......
The solicitors’ professional body said it has collaborated with the University of Leeds’ Inter- Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre and the whistleblowing charity Protect to create a second edition of an ethics framework for in-house solicitors, months after it launched the first. The framework provides a complimentary, free suite of tools, resources, materials and templates to support practitioners in meeting their legal and ethical professional duties in their day-to-day practice. This updated version introduces fresh whistleblowing guidance, developed by the Law Society together with Protect. It also contains a model whistleblowing policy template that organisations can adopt, or use to assess, review and refine their current procedure. According to the Law Society’s website, the added whistleblowing resources fill a significant gap, as......
Worker Protection ( Amendment to Equality Act 2010) 2023 Prompted by the regulation, which took effect a year ago on 26 October, more employers are completing risk assessments and have refreshed or introduced workplace anti-harassment policies and training, lawyers report. Investment in bystander intervention training is increasing, alongside a stronger emphasis on robust investigations into sexual harassment allegations. Organisations are also seeking indemnities from clients and suppliers to safeguard against liability for wrongdoing by third parties, according to lawyers. Yet the degree to which the new duty has been adopted often hinges on employer size, resources and sector. A recent Worknest survey of 400 human resources professionals shows that one in four businesses has still not carried out a sexual harassment risk assessment. According to Natasha Adom, a partner at GQ Littler, employers in regulated settings typically find compliance easier because they are...
The government has published four consultations in relation to the Employment Rights Bill ( ERB), which cover the following areas: the obligation on employers to tell workers of their right to join a trade union the right of trade unions to access workplaces physically, and to communicate with workers in person or digitally enhanced workplace protections against dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers a new entitlement to bereavement leave, including for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks This overview outlines the proposals in each consultation, the questions posed and the deadline for responding. For information on the progress of the ERB generally, see Practice Note: Employment Rights Bill—tracker. Duty to inform workers of right to join a trade union The ERB will introduce a new duty requiring employers to issue workers with a written statement, advising them of their right to join a trade union at 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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