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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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According to a High Court order issued in January 2026 and newly disclosed, BOC Aviation reached a confidential settlement with Cathedral Capital on 31 December 2025. The agreement arrives almost two years after BOC Aviation struck a deal with Convex Insurance UK Ltd within the same proceedings concerning aircraft left in limbo after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. BOC Aviation continues to pursue its action against the remaining insurers named in the case. Lancashire Holdings Ltd revealed in November 2013 that it had purchased Cathedral. The Lancashire Group, a provider of speciality insurance and reinsurance products, declined to comment on 21 January 2026. The settlement follows the court’s landmark ruling in March 2024 requiring major insurers, among them Allianz, AXA and Liberty Mutual, to face claims valued at US$9.7bn related to aircraft still stranded in Russia......
In this issue: Cases and decisions Insurance types UK Regulation EU Regulation International Regulation Cases tracker Dates for your diary Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Cases and decisions Acasta European Insurance Company Ltd v Eshiett The King's Bench Division ( Commercial Court) ruled in favour of Acasta, the claimant insurer, on a Part 8 Civil Procedure Rules application addressing the scope of its liability under insurance arrangements for properties in London. Acasta sought a declaration that the apartment block carried only an index‑linked aggregate indemnity limit of £1.5m. The defendants, who held interests in the block or individual flats, contended that each flat benefited from separate cover with its own £1m limit. The court held that the first limb of the ‘ Limits of...
MS Amlin v King Trader [2025] EWCA Civ 1387 What are the practical implications of this case? Pay first clauses. Under TP( RAI) A 2010, s 9(5), the default position is that ‘pay first’ provisions are to be ignored for third-party claims against insurers under the Act. By contrast, s 9(6) preserves their effect in marine insurance, save where the claim concerns death or personal injury. The result is that, where a marine policy validly incorporates a pay first term and the insured is insolvent, the 2010 Act offers limited practical benefit. In MS Amlin, the Court of Appeal rejected interpretative challenges to a pay first clause, confirming it does not undermine the insured’s primary right to an indemnity under liability insurance. Contractual consistency and hierarchy clauses. The Court of Appeal reaffirmed that policies are to be construed coherently, not with an eye to finding...
On 12 January 2026, the High Court issued and published a judgment dismissing Unity Ship Group S. A'.s claim that Euroins Insurance JSC was obliged to compensate it for losses after the Happy Aras ran aground off Turkey’s northern coast in March 2023. Master of the High Court Richard Davison concluded the vessel’s captain committed multiple grave mistakes in circumstances where his conduct effectively dismantled numerous essential checks and balances intended to uphold the safety of the vessel and the voyage. He further found the master later on inserted inaccurate and misleading entries in the ship’s log to divert responsibility from himself. Those systemic shortcomings meant the test for unseaworthiness was satisfied, Master Davison said. A prudent owner would have insisted upon the relevant......
Insurance & Reinsurance weekly highlights—15 January 2026 In this issue: Cases and decisions Insurance types EU regulation Cases tracker Dates for your diary Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Cases and decisions Mercantile Indemnity Company Ltd [2025] EWHC 3396 ( Ch) The Chancery Division made an order under section 111(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 approving an insurance business transfer scheme that moved the whole insurance and reinsurance portfolios of Mercantile Indemnity Company Limited and Rombalds Run- Off Limited to River Thames Insurance Company Limited. The matter involved a Part 8 Claim Form brought jointly by Mercantile, Rombalds and River Thames (together, the ' Parties') to effect the transfer of their run-off insurance businesses and to seek ancillary orders, including the dissolution of the...
Sasof III ( A3) Aviation Ireland DAC, together with aircraft leasing manager Carlyle Aviation Management Ltd and UMB Bank NA, has struck a confidential settlement with insurers, as recorded in a High Court order dated 19 December 2025 that has only recently been disclosed. Settling defendants include German reinsurer Munich Rückversicherungs- Gesellschaft and Axis Specialty Europe SE’s Brussels and Belgian branch. In an amended claim filed in February 2024, Carlyle, Sasof and UMB pursued 24 reinsurers to recover about US$44m tied to a 2006 Airbus A330 leased to Russian carrier I- Fly. Insurers that did not participate in the settlement include Convex Insurance UK Ltd and Liberty Corporate Capital Ltd, alongside various syndicates and entities such as Arch Insurance ( UK) Ltd and Swiss Re International SE. The claim states......
In this issue: Key cases and decisions Cases tracker Dates for your diary Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Key cases and decisions Oceanus Capital SARL v Lloyd's Insurance Company S. A. ( M/ V ‘ Vyssos’) The Commercial Court found Oceanus Capital SARL was entitled to an indemnity under a Mortgagee’s Interest Insurance ( MII) policy issued by the defendant, Lloyd’s Insurance Company SA, after the vessel was lost due to a mine strike in Ukrainian waters. See: [2025] EWHC 3293 ( Comm). Vivid Housing Limited v Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE In the Technology and Construction Court, Allianz’s application for summary judgment against Vivid succeeded only in respect of one defect and was refused for all other alleged defects. The dispute concerned whether defects in a block of flats were within cover under a...
The International Underwriting Association ( IUA), in its reply to the FCA’s consultation, argued that the arrangement being proposed amounts to ‘regulatory overreach’. The regulator has been gathering feedback on an industry-wide redress programme following such a landmark Supreme Court judgment delivered in August 2025. That decision concluded that motor finance providers had broken the law due to sizeable hidden commissions paid to intermediaries and by not revealing a contractual relationship with the customer. The FCA considers these behaviours to have been prevalent from 2007–24 and anticipates lenders will ultimately provide £8.2bn in compensation to affected customers across the sector in total......
Aviva reported that a survey of 500 decision-makers at small and medium-sized enterprises revealed that only 20% of firms with fewer than ten staff view cyber threats as their greatest risk, versus more than 40% across all other business sizes. Aviva added the study, released on 9 December 2025, showed cyber claims from SMEs were up 10% year-on-year, based on claims data for 2025 to 11 December 2025, with the typical claim totalling £40,000. The research, carried out by Censuswide for Aviva in August and September 2025, further noted that IT and cyber security are the tasks that those in question......
On 15 December 2025, EY warned that insurers are likely to post losses in 2026, with profitability pressured by falling premiums and escalating claims expenses, as margins continue to be squeezed. Across most of the last 12 months, the industry has cut premiums, after near record consumer price levels led the government to open a formal inquiry. EY added that motor insurers recorded a net combined ratio of 97% in 2024. The combined ratio gauges underwriting performance: below 100% denotes profit, while anything above implies a loss for insurers......
In this issue: Insurance types UK regulation EU regulation Cases tracker Dates for your diary Daily and weekly news alerts Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Insurance types Motor vehicle and road traffic accident HMT and the Department for Transport have issued the Motor Insurance Taskforce’s concluding report, outlining how government bodies and regulators intend to steady and reduce premiums for motorists. In a related publication, the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA) has presented findings from its review of the relationship between motor policy pricing and local area ethnicity across England and Wales. Sources: Motor Insurance Taskforce: final report; Motor insurance pricing and local area ethnicity Environmental liability The Lloyd’s Market Association ( LMA) has formed a committee to evaluate insurance sector exposures arising from emerging litigation, including claims connected to ‘forever chemicals’. See: Lloyd’s body weighs emerging ‘forever...
On 3 December 2025, the LMA reported its emerging litigation forum had convened once to hear from solicitors about trends in legal cases concerning perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl. Together, these substances are termed PFAS, and are commonly known as so-called forever chemicals. Multiple sizeable class actions have been filed in the US against PFAS producers, resulting in settlements amounting to several billion dollars. Solicitors expect to see comparable litigation in Britain in the near future, which may have a knock-on impact on......
In a report released on 1 December 2025, AM Best suggested insurers may have potentially priced policies too low given the threat of a large-scale blaze. It cautioned that any losses could span several classes of insurance business. The incident, on 26 November 2025, tore through seven of the eight blocks at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court estate, leaving at least 151 residents dead. The complex accommodates over 4,600 people in total in residence......
Insurance & Reinsurance weekly highlights—4 December 2025 In this issue: UK Regulation Cases tracker Dates for your diary New and updated content Daily and weekly news alerts Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community UK Regulation PRA publishes final policy on firms’ approach to managing climate-related risks The Prudential Regulation Authority ( PRA) has issued supervisory statement SS4/25, outlining its expectations for how firms manage climate-related risks. The objective is to ensure firms develop the capability and resilience required to address these exposures effectively. SS4/25 forms part of policy statement PS25/25, which reports on feedback to consultation paper CP10/25, Enhancing banks’ and insurers’ approaches to managing climate-related risks— Update to SS3/19. See: PS25/25— Enhancing banks’ and insurers’ approaches to managing climate-related risks— Update to SS3/19. See: SS4/25— Enhancing banks’ and insurers’ approaches to managing climate-related risks. Cases...
In this issue: Insurance claims Insurance types UK regulation International regulation Cases tracker Dates for your diary New and updated content Daily and weekly news alerts Lex Talk® Insurance: a Lexis® Nexis community Insurance claims Fraud and dishonesty Fraud within the UK general insurance market climbed again in 2024, largely led by motor cover, the Association of British Insurers ( ABI) warned on 17 November 2025. See: Fraudulent insurance claims continue to top £1bn a year. Insurance types Cyber Amid rising concern about the economic risk of a major strike on IT infrastructure, the Business and Trade Committee said the government should widen the remit of the UK’s £2.2trn terrorism reinsurer to include emerging cyberthreats. See: MPs call for expansion of state reinsurer to cyberthreats. UK regulation PRA publishes insurer-specific results of Life Insurance Stress Test 2025 The Prudential Regulation Authority ( PRA) has...
Insurance & Reinsurance weekly highlights—20 November 2025 In this issue: Ukraine Conflict Key cases and decisions Insurance claims UK Regulation EU Regulation Cases tracker Dates for your diary New and updated content Daily and weekly news alerts Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Ukraine Conflict SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd has resolved its US$334m dispute with AXA XL Insurance Co UK Ltd over compensation for aircraft left in Russia after the Ukraine invasion, representing the latest move in extensive, multibillion-dollar proceedings. See: AXA XL settles with lessor in US$334m stranded planes claim. Key cases and decisions Dewji v Prudential International Assurance Plc: The Chancery Division allowed the appeal by Prudential International Assurance plc against Mr Recorder Kelly KC’s order, which had dismissed Prudential’s strike out/summary judgment bid. The claim by Mr Dewji, arising from a life assurance and critical illness policy taken out in...
Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd (formerly Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Plc) and others v Equitas Insurance Ltd [2025] EWHC 2704 ( Comm) What are the practical implications of this case? The judgment offers valuable guidance on the construction of key provisions in reinsurance contracts that often trigger disputes, including: excess limits claims co-operation follow settlement clauses The court also examined whether RSA failed to take 'all proper and businesslike steps' when settling with its underlying insured; any such failure would have relieved Equitas from being obliged to follow RSA's settlement. It addressed allocation of risk spanning decades of cover, as well as principles governing awards of interest. The court confirmed there is no default position that, in commercial cases, interest should reflect the cost of commercial borrowing. It further reaffirmed the basic rule that interest runs from the date of loss....
SMBC has settled its claims with AXA XL, bringing an end to the lessor's claim against the insurer, according to a High Court order dated 10 November 2025. The settlement terms have not been disclosed. On 14 November 2025, AXA XL and SMBC’s representatives did not promptly reply to any requests for public comment. In March 2024, Judge Andrew Henshaw rejected an application to pause 78 connected actions by aircraft lessors so they could proceed in Moscow. Those claims, initially estimated at roughly US$13.5bn, had been reduced to about US$9.7bn following earlier settlements at the point of that ruling. The court declined a stay amid worries that the claimants were unlikely to receive a fair hearing in Russia. The lessors are pursuing insurers, among them Allianz, AXA and Liberty Mutual, over aircraft remaining in Russia after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The...
Consumer group Which Which reported that insurers offering buildings-only policies approved only 63.2% of claims on average. Exercising its legal powers, the group lodged a ‘super-complaint’ with the FCA in September 2025, highlighting systemic failings across home and travel insurance. The regulator has not yet issued a formal reply. Rocio Concha, Which’s director of policy and advocacy, said that with sector-wide claim acceptance rates stubbornly low, many policyholders face gruelling battles with their insurer that can feel more traumatic than the incident that triggered the claim. She added that the watchdog must now clamp down on firms that are letting customers down, and make it plain that weak performance will not be accepted any......
In this issue: Coronavirus ( COVID-19) business interruption insurance Insurance types UK Regulation Cases tracker Dates for your diary New and updated content Lex Talk®Insurance: a Lexis®Nexis community Coronavirus ( COVID-19) business interruption insurance SMEs fight Liberty Mutual on discovery wording and COVID-19 A consortium of companies argued that Liberty Mutual Insurance ought to cover disruption stemming from COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns, on day one of the newest trial in an ongoing sequence of cases scrutinising insurers’ policies after the pandemic. See: SMEs fight Liberty Mutual on discovery wording and COVID-19. Insurance types Cyber Insurers disbursed £197m to businesses struck by cyber-attacks in 2024, representing a 230% year-on-year surge compared with the £138m paid in 2023, according to the Association of British Insurers ( ABI). See: UK cyber-insurance payouts soar amid rising digital...
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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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