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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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Private equity drives 60% of insurance broking M& A Marsh Berry, an adviser on insurance mergers and acquisitions ( M& As), reported on 27 February 2025 that private equity or private equity-backed buyers accounted for 60% of 2024 transactions involving brokers and managing general agents. It added that this momentum is set to persist through 2025, as more US firms, in particular, pursue acquisition opportunities notably across the UK or European markets. With interest rates easing and capital markets steadying, the firm noted, conditions look increasingly favourable for heightened private equity activity and a material uplift in cross-border M& A activity overall......
FCA chief executive Nikhil Rathi Speaking at an Association of British Insurers roundtable on 27 February 2025, FCA chief executive Nikhil Rathi confirmed from that date, firms could opt to have a Consumer Duty board champion rather than be obliged, reflecting proposals the regulator sent to government on 16 January 2024. ' From this morning, firms will be free to decide whether to appoint a Consumer Duty board champion,' he said. The role exists to ensure the Consumer Duty, which demands good outcomes for consumers, remains a standing item for discussion at board level. In its letter, the FCA indicated it would scrap the mandate now the Duty is live and in effect. Rathi added that, over the coming weeks, the FCA would turn to the other roughly 50 growth proposals set out in that correspondence. He......
The firm stated that aggregate losses across the worldwide insurance sector could in all likelihood reach US$40bn. The statement leaves the firm among the most heavily exposed European insurers to the wildfires, which swept through the LA metropolitan area and parts of San Diego County during 7–31 January 2025......
In this issue: Cases and decisions Coronavirus ( COVID-19) business interruption insurance Types of insurance Jurisdiction and applicable law Premium EU regulation Cases tracker 2025 case tracker Dates for your diary New and updated content Daily and weekly news alerts Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Cases and decisions Insurers secure a pivotal ruling on COVID-19 furlough offsets ( Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe Se and other companies v Bath Racecourse Company Ltd (and 21 other Claimants listed in Appendix 1 to the Particulars of Claim) and other cases). The appellate court on 21 February 2025 confirmed that carriers may subtract the value of state pandemic support received by policyholders from amounts otherwise payable under policies. See News Analysis: Insurers win landmark case on COVID–19 furlough...
On 21 February 2025, Nigel Cooper KC, acting as a High Court judge, decided that GIC ( Re India Corporate Member Ltd) was not entitled to challenge a January 2025 decision which awarded Tyson International Co Ltd permanent anti-suit protection against New York arbitration. In his 22 January 2025 judgment, he found that the parties’ reinsurance contracts carried inconsistent dispute resolution terms. However, he held that a so‑called confusion clause clarified that the English law and jurisdiction wording in one agreement overrode the New York arbitration clause in the other. Returning to the matter on 21 February 2025, Judge Cooper stated that the court had not misread the confusion clause, contrary to GIC’s argument. ‘ I accept that GIC’s reading of the confusion clause is possible,’ he wrote......
WRBC Corp Member Ltd and a second syndicate, Canopius Corporate Capital Ltd, reached settlement terms, as recorded in a consent order made in the High Court by Judge Christopher Butcher on 18 February 2023. The details of that accord were not made public. In January 2024, WRBC brought proceedings at the court against a cohort of 13 underwriters and insurers. The Lloyd’s syndicate stated that the cohort—with AXA XL Syndicate Ltd acting as lead reinsurer—declined to release sums it said were due after it issued policies that covered businesses for the risk of event cancellations during the pandemic and associated issues and related matters also......
The Court of Appeal held that a ‘reasonable policyholder’ would recognise that firms supported by the state furlough scheme did not have to meet their own payroll and, as a result, ought not to receive indemnity for those losses. However, the judges found for policyholders on a distinct point in the test case concerning so‑called composite insurance policies. The court handed down a split decision three weeks after the hearings, which ran from 21–28 January 2025. It ranks among the biggest test cases on the fraught question of COVID‑19 business interruption cover since the Financial Conduct Authority prevailed against eight insurers on policyholders’ behalf in 2021. In the judgment, Justice Julian Flaux explained that, ultimately, the insureds did not have to carry the cost of wages and, to that extent, the business’s charges or expenses were reduced. The decision was endorsed by...
According to a High Court order dated 14 February 2025, Everatt's LLP and Aviva have brought their dispute over the claim to a close through a confidential settlement agreement. Everatt's was bought in 2020 by Axiom Stone Solicitors, a firm that served as a predecessor to Axiom Ince. No terms of the deal were made public. Aviva offered no comment, and a spokesperson for Everatt's could not immediately be reached. The agreement arrives nearly four years after the firm issued proceedings against Aviva in 2021, seeking a payment of up to £478,000 for lost income, together with approximately £150,000 in increased office costs. The firm alleged its lawyers could not see clients, make or receive phone calls, or access documents stored at its Harrow premises in north-west London......
The Swiss-based insurer stated in its 2024 year-end financial results that losses would encompass exposures from its subsidiary, Farmers Re. Zurich additionally disclosed a business operating profit of US$7.8bn. Carriers are anticipated to pay claims of up to US$50bn after the destructive wildfires that tore through the LA metropolitan area and sections of San Diego County between 7–31 January 2025. For Zurich, the event is projected to deliver a pre-tax impact of US$200m, with Farmers Re included overall......
In this issue: Coronavirus ( COVID-19) business interruption insurance Cases and decisions Insurance types Premium Cases tracker 2025 case tracker Dates for your diary New and updated content Daily and weekly news alerts Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Coronavirus ( COVID-19) business interruption insurance QIC Europe Ltd maintains it has no duty to indemnify the restaurant group’s owner for alleged losses arising from temporary site closures at the height of the coronavirus ( COVID-19) pandemic, asserting that no instances of the disease occurred ‘within the immediate vicinity’ of the insured locations. See: QIC denies COVID-19 cover for Franco Manca owner. Cases and decisions AIG has largely defeated a claim linked to a failed Italian property venture ( Leggett and others v American International Group UK Ltd). On 12 February 2025, the court held that the policy issued to a...
Deputy Judge David Quest KC In a High Court judgment handed down on 12 February 2025, Deputy Judge David Quest KC concluded that Clarendon Dental Spa ( Leeds) Ltd ( CDS Ltd) did not make false statements to Zurich Insurance Plc, and that the Swiss insurer cannot advance that contention in its defence. Zurich maintained that CDS Ltd should have revealed that two former corporate partners connected to the business had gone into liquidation. The judge, however, said he was satisfied the company answered the question Zurich actually asked when the policy was arranged, adding that the proposed misrepresentation allegation has no real prospect of success and cannot be introduced by amendment. The dispute follows claims issued in 2023 by CDS Ltd and Clarendon Dental Spa LLP ( CDS LLP), the property owner, against Zurich and Aviva over losses from a 2021 fire at the...
Professional services firm EY, formerly Ernst & Young EY, the professional services group once known as Ernst & Young, expects income from general life insurance premiums to grow by 5.2% in 2025, easing from an 8.4% rise in 2024. Insurers had to sharply increase motor and home premiums in 2024 as the price of replacement parts and construction materials jumped. However, motor insurance costs in particular have fallen back through late 2024 and into early 2025. According to EY, insurers are benefiting from reduced claims expenses, while interest in discretionary cover is on the up......
The Association of British Insurers ( ABI) The Association of British Insurers ( ABI) said its members are pushing to lower premiums for policyholders, despite an 18% rise on the previous record payout of £9.9bn in 2023. The trade body added that policyholders could be hit again if the government increases insurance premium tax in the next Budget. ‘ Industry is doing all that it can, but it is now for government to take the necessary action to tackle high claim costs,’ said Mark Shepherd, head of general insurance policy at the ABI. And it is vital that government does......
In this issue: Ukraine conflict Types of insurance Reinsurance Intermediaries and market practice Fraud and dishonesty European regulation Cases tracker Dates for your diary New and updated content Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Ukraine conflict On 5 February 2025, war-risk underwriters maintained they are not responsible for losses tied to aircraft left in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, asserting jets retained by airlines fall outside the leasing airlines’ policy cover. See: Insurers say stranded jets not covered by war risks policies. Types of insurance Motor vehicle and road traffic accident Two in five motor policyholders are facing delays in receiving payouts, a UK consumer body reported on 6 February 2025, urging the FCA to clamp down on weak claims handling. See: UK car insurers named and shamed for claims...
In a defence filed at the High Court on 29 January 2025 and newly disclosed, the insurer contended that The Fulham Shore Ltd cannot claim under the policy because COVID-19 cases were outside its scope. It maintained that business interruption would be recoverable beneath the denial-of-access clause solely where a danger or disorder was local or localised and arose in the immediate area of the premises, insisting that hazards of a nationwide character are not local or localised. In December 2024, the owner of Franco Manca and The Real Greek chains countered that its cover ought to have responded to the losses suffered when Britain entered sweeping, government-imposed lockdowns. It asserted the policies provided business interruption insurance for any incident that prevented access to its premises. The Fulham Shore further contended it is entitled to up to the specified policy cap of £1m for each...
Judge Janet Bignell KC ruled that AIG UK Ltd is not obliged to meet damages awarded by an earlier judgment to investors pursuing claims against Giambrone Law LLP, which had acted for them on the failed Jewel of the Sea project in Calabria. According to Judge Bignell, this is because AIG's professional indemnity policy with Giambrone Law responded only to breaches of duty occurring after the limited liability partnership was incorporated in 2008. However, most of the 41 investors trying to recover their losses received negligent advice from the firm's predecessor, Giambrone & Law. Had the investors secured judgments against Giambrone & Law for losses stemming from its conduct, then those losses would have fallen to be indemnified under the policy subject to its terms and conditions, she said in that event......
HM Treasury has released its so-called retrocession accord with Pool Reinsurance Company ( Pool Re), featuring adjustments first proposed in a formal 2022 review. Under the deal, insurers will carry greater risk retentions for standard types of terrorism. The reinsurer benefits from unlimited state guarantees to settle claims that surpass its £6.6bn fund, which is financed by members. However, HM Treasury is increasingly uneasy about the potential hit to the public purse from a large terror event. HM Treasury also confirmed that the arrangement will embed the reforms set out in its 2022 strategic review of Pool Re during that year as well......
' Contingency is not primary cover' Dominic Kendrick KC of 7 King’s Bench Walk, acting for Fidelis within a group of war-risks insurers, told the High Court that contingency insurance serves only as a back‑up, stepping in where the main policy should have paid out but did not. The proceedings aim to decide which insurers are responsible for losses suffered by lessors when their aircraft were left in Russia after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. ‘ Contingency is not primary cover,’ Kendrick said. ‘ It does not widen the risks beyond the loss insured in the first place.’ Beginning on 2 October 2024, the trial places contingent liability insurance policies under close scrutiny. This form of cover applies when loss or damage to aircraft falls under the principal policy, yet the insurer fails to respond. Six claims have been combined in what is...
The German insurer’s UK division reported the total, an increase on the £142.38m exposed in 2023, arising from 33,027 fraud cases in 2024. According to Allianz, that equals 90 daily attempts valued at £430,000. Allianz added that spotting application fraud kept rising. This occurs when criminals use stolen identities to seek loans. Detection of application fraud continued to increase in 2024. The insurer noted 2024 saw more policy abuse, misrepresentation, and criminals masquerading as legitimate insurers, so-called ghost brokers. There was a high number of fraudsters posing as insurance companies in 2024. Ben Fletcher, Allianz UK’s fraud director, described insurance fraud as a 'serious problem' that pushes up the cost of policies......
On 5 February 2025, the broking and risk adviser reported in its Global Insurance Market Index that average costs kept sliding further in the last quarter of 2024, following a 1% decline between the second and third quarters of that same year. Marsh noted the steepest reductions late in 2024 were in the UK and the Pacific, where typical prices dropped by 5% and 8%, respectively, according to the report. In the US, rates were unchanged over the same time period, the report said. Globally, property insurance pricing fell by 3%, the study added. Casualty insurance rates were the only major class to register an increase across 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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