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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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The party has historically supported tougher measures against corporations and proposed reviewing the funding of the Serious Fraud Office ( SFO) Having swept into office on 4 July 2024, after 14 years out of power, it plans to step up efforts against fraud—which represents 41% of all crime—and kleptocracy. Under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, formerly the UK’s chief public prosecutor, the administration will roll out a new fraud strategy to address the full breadth of threats set out in Labour’s pre‑election promises. The party has also backed closer scrutiny of the Serious Fraud Office’s funding. These encompass: online threats; risks to the public sector. Louise Hodges, head of criminal litigation at Kingsley Napley LLP, noted the government could find a strong collaborator in a newly energised Serious Fraud Office, ready to concentrate on domestic fraud, run high‑profile operations and adopt a more...
In this issue Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Other Practice Compliance updates this week Lex Talk® Practice Compliance: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Financial sanctions OFSI issues General Licence INT/2024/4888228 on payments for statutory audits OFSI and HM Treasury have released a new General Licence INT/2024/4888228 covering payments for statutory audits. Taking effect on 27 June 2024, it permits payments to Statutory Auditors for a statutory audit by a designated person ( DP), or by others acting for a DP. See: LNB News 01/07/2024 45. OFSI updates General Licence on Oil Price Cap Exempt Projects and Countries OFSI and HM Treasury have revised General Licence INT/2022/2470156 on Oil Price Cap Exempt Projects and Countries and the related publication notice. The amendment extends the expiry date for the Schedule 1 Exempt...
Additionally, some EU nationals delivering services to their Russian subsidiaries will not need to secure a licence. By contrast, UK sanctions on Russia have never included the so‑called partner countries’ subsidiaries exemption, so UK businesses or UK nationals supplying business services to Russian entities have always had to seek a licence. For context, after the EU adopted its 12th sanctions package on 19 December 2023, the partner countries’ subsidiaries exemption was scheduled to be withdrawn over six months. Accordingly, from 20 June 2024, EU companies and EU nationals must obtain a licence from the competent authorities of the Member States to provide business services or software to their Russian subsidiaries. In this article, we analyse how the German, French, Italian and UK regimes are addressing this question. Restricted services and software From 30 September 2024, EU entities will be prohibited from supplying specified business...
SRA board clears plan to regulate CILEX members On 1 July 2024, the SRA announced its board had approved proposals to oversee Chartered Institute of Legal Executives ( CILEX) members, following more than two years of talks and negotiation. The move is not final, though. In a statement issued the same day, the SRA explained that, should CILEX choose to proceed, any redelegation would still require sign‑off from the Legal Services Board. The board’s resolution could mark the culmination of a process set in motion in January 2022, when CILEX first asked the SRA to take over from its own dedicated regulator, CILEX Regulation Ltd ( CRL). Since then, at least four separate consultations have been carried out and the LSB has undertaken an investigation. In reflecting on the change since CILEX approached the SRA, Anna Bradley, the SRA’s chair, said the...
On 27 June 2024, the Court of Appeal held that the NCA acted unlawfully by declining to probe imports of cotton linked to forced labour in China’s Xinjiang region. Reversing a 2023 High Court decision, the appeal judges found the agency had misapplied its own investigative framework under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 ( POCA 2002) when dealing with suspected illicit assets. ‘ It’s a game changer’, said Matthew Banham of Seyfarth Shaw ( UK) LLP. ‘ Corporations now have an obligation to make sure they are not committing money laundering offences through their supply chains.’ Crucially, the court ruled the NCA does not need hard proof of criminal conduct before commencing a proceeds-of-crime inquiry. It further determined that criminal property—here, cotton produced through forced labour—is not invariably purified or legitimised by later payment of market price. Lloyd Firth of Wilmer Hale noted the...
In this issue: Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Latest Q& As Financial sanctions OFSI releases General Licence: Payments to the FCA INT/2024/4836676. On 20 June 2024, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation formally issued the General Licence allowing for the settlement of payments to the Financial Conduct Authority by, or on behalf of, a Designated Person. See: LNB News 21/06/2024 23. Russian billionaire loses bid to overturn EU sanctions. Law360 reports that on 19 June 2024, the EU’s General Court maintained sanctions against Igor Rotenberg, determining there is sufficient evidence he benefited from Russia’s support for companies he managed and in which he owned shares. See News Analysis: Russian billionaire loses bid to overturn EU sanctions......
Harrison v Cameron and another company [2024] EWHC 1377 ( KB) What are the practical implications of this case? This judgment provides helpful clarification for data controllers on handling DSARs. It also confirms that company directors, when acting in that role and processing data for their company, are not controllers; the controller is the company alone. Article 15(1)(c) of the UK GDPR The decision carries important implications for the reading of Article 15(1)(c). It confirms controllers must disclose the identities of personal data recipients, not merely categories, unless an exception applies (ie identification is impossible, or the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive). Organisations may wish to revise internal procedures so the default is to provide identities rather than categories. More broadly, documentation and records should be reviewed and kept up to date to record recipient identities, so this information can be easily provided if...
e- Privacy Regulation MLex reports that the incoming European Commission, expected to take office later this year, plans to withdraw the bill and present a fresh proposal. In its stead, policymakers may advance distinct legislative measures addressing data retention, web cookies and digital advertising. First tabled in 2017, the e- Privacy Regulation was designed to safeguard the confidentiality of electronic communications and to complement the EU's flagship data protection law, the General Data Protection Regulation. Cast as a lex specialis (a measure focused on a defined area), it was meant to expand on specific facets of the GDPR. It was also intended to replace a 2002 directive, which was revised in 2009 to add user consent rules for cookies. Negotiations on the e- Privacy Regulation ultimately hit an impasse after a French-led move to include provisions setting out how...
According to the judgment, Rotenberg’s past role as the majority shareholder of Gazprom Drilling — Russia’s largest drilling enterprise overseen by the gas giant Gazprom — was, on its own, insufficient to establish that he derived advantage from Russian decision-makers. Yet, when RT- Invest Transport Systems obtained the management of an electronic toll-collection project valued at about €108m without a competitive tender, Rotenberg benefited once he assumed the post of managing director, the General Court determined. As a result, the freezing of Rotenberg’s assets — a Moscow resident whose fortune was estimated at US$1.1bn in 2018 — was considered justified to help bring an end to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, the court ruled. The Council of the EU imposed sanctions on Rotenberg in September 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022......
When it takes effect, section 17 of the Act will render void any clause that seeks to bar a victim from sharing information about criminal conduct with law enforcement, professional advisers, regulators, or close family members. The measure was expedited ahead of Parliament’s dissolution on 30 May 2024, following a Ministry of Justice announcement on 28 March 2024 targeting the misuse of nondisclosure agreements ( NDAs). It coincides with intensifying regulatory and political attention on how NDAs are employed. Below, we outline the key context and emphasise that anyone drafting or relying on NDAs should evaluate their suitability and reach on a case-by-case basis. Increased scrutiny on NDAs There are numerous proper purposes for NDAs, such as safeguarding commercial, sensitive, or confidential material that is being shared. NDAs have also traditionally been included in settlement agreements connected to the ending of employment for a range of...
In this issue: Practice Compliance forecast Financial Sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Other financial crime Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Question of the week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Practice Compliance forecast New Practice Compliance forecast as at 18 June 2024 Our refreshed Practice Compliance forecast (as at 18 June 2024) is now available. This edition highlights: (1) the forthcoming FATF evaluation of the UK’s response to money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing; (2) proposed reform of the AML supervisory framework; (3) an SRA consultation on its draft business plan and budget for 2024–2025; and (4) the enactment of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. See News Analysis: New Practice Compliance forecast as at 18 June...
What does the EU AI Act say about this? Under the EU AI Act: A Provider is a person or body that creates (or has created on its behalf) an AI system or general purpose AI ( GPAI) model and is the first to place it on the EU market; or, for an AI system, directly supplies it under its own name or trade mark for initial use to a Deployer within the EU. A Deployer is a person or body that uses an AI system under its authority in the EU, except where the system is used for personal, non‑professional activity. In broad terms, you can view a Provider as the developer of an AI system, and a Deployer as a professional user of that system. A person or body is caught by the EU AI Act regardless of where they are...
Our Practice Compliance forecast as at 18 June 2024 As at 18 June 2024, the forecast monitors proposed regulatory developments relevant to law firm compliance, enabling you to plan ahead for any changes that could affect your organisation. You should review it carefully, but headline points that ought to be on your radar are outlined below. New items we’re tracking this month FATF assessment of the UK— FATF will shortly commence its fifth cycle assessing global efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. In this context, the UK will undergo a detailed peer review, leading to a new Mutual Evaluation Report to be published in 2028. See: AML, CTF and counter-proliferation financing SRA consultation on its draft business plan and budget—the SRA has opened a consultation on its draft business plan and budget for 2024–2025. The SRA has...
See Q& A: Having concluded a complaint about fees without upholding it, if the client forwards the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, are we prevented from starting proceedings for outstanding fees, or do we have to wait until the Ombudsman reaches a decision? Legal Ombudsman scheme rules and guidance Nothing in the Legal Ombudsman Scheme Rules appears to bar a law firm from commencing court action to recover an unpaid bill, even where the client has complained to the Legal Ombudsman in relation to that same bill. There seems to be no provision in the Rules that would prevent such recovery proceedings while a complaint is with Le O. The Legal Ombudsman ( Le O) also publishes FAQs, including one titled: I want to complain, should I still pay the service provider’s fee? Le O cautions that, although...
Labour — tipped to take office — alongside the ruling Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, rolled out glossy policy brochures chiefly centred on the economy, tax and immigration. For anyone seeking momentum in tackling dirty cash, the offerings were thin... Before Labour’s manifesto on 13 June 2024, prospects seemed brighter. Last month David Lammy, the party’s foreign affairs lead, pledged payments to whistleblowers who expose sanctioned entities hiding money. He branded corruption and money laundering in the UK as ‘toxic’, and vowed action against professional enablers — lawyers and accountants — who conceal illicit wealth for the affluent, a stance that would have galvanised campaigners. Yet those ambitions did not survive into the final document. Labour did promise to refresh the UK’s fraud strategy and involve tech platforms to reduce online fraud, but the current strategy, published in May 2023, already commits to...
In this issue: Financial sanctions Other financial crime Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Financial sanctions OFSI publishes guidance on licensing personal staff payments policy The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI) has issued guidance setting out its policy on licences for payments to personal staff. Applicants should use it to understand when OFSI may approve, or decline, payments for the personal employees of designated persons. See: LNB News 12/06/2024 61. Other financial crime Financial adviser gets eight years for legal funding fraud Law360 reports that on 7 June 2024 a London judge handed a former financial adviser an eight-year custodial sentence after he was convicted of diverting £5.8m in undisclosed commission from an investment fund in a legal financing fraud. See News Analysis: Financial adviser gets eight years for legal funding fraud......
In recent months, solicitors have been guiding business clients on evaluating the risks posed by their artificial intelligence ( AI) systems and on taking immediate steps to establish internal governance frameworks, so that organisations keep pace with compliance under the far-reaching new law, approved by the Council of the EU in May 2024 and phased in across the next 36 months. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP partner Joel Harrison, co-chair of the firm's privacy, cybersecurity and data innovation practice group, told Law360 that numerous companies are working out internally where responsibility for AI governance should sit within current corporate arrangements, a task complicated by lingering ambiguities in the statute. He said many organisations are wrestling with the placement of AI governance and how the new AI rules intersect with their data privacy and security practices, as they determine how these...
David Kennedy, 71, remained impassive as Judge Gregory Perrins imposed a period of imprisonment after a brief hearing at Southwark Crown Court in London. In May, the jury found Kennedy guilty on a single charge of defrauding investors in the Axiom Legal Financing Fund, which collapsed in 2012 with debts of £107m. As he delivered sentence, Judge Perrins said Kennedy and a co‑defendant had set up the fund to deceive investors, calling it “rotten to the core”. Prosecutors from the Serious Fraud Office ( SFO) alleged Kennedy pocketed management fees, which were not revealed to investors, by fraudulently diverting Axiom payments that were meant to fund law firms pursuing low‑value, high‑volume litigation. He showed no reaction. The fund’s collapse left debts of £107m......
Meta is facing complaints from 11 European data protection authorities After announcing a privacy policy revision signalling it would use personal data to develop ‘ AI technology’, Meta now faces formal complaints from 11 European data protection authorities. Max Schrems’ campaign group NOYB has lodged cases with privacy watchdogs in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Spain, urging the regulators to urgently stop the change before it takes effect on 26 June. NOYB has specialised in strategic complaints, including those that led to the invalidation of Meta’s legal basis under contract for processing personal data for advertising. Since then, Meta has switched to the ‘legitimate interest’ legal basis. While the General Data Protection Regulation sets out six potential legal bases for processing personal data, the prevailing doctrine arising from data protection authorities’ guidance and decisions has......
The act ushered in a series of reforms, with some measures commencing at once in October 2024 and others still awaiting implementation. Why did these reforms come about? Fraud is the most prevalent offence in the UK. As set out in the government’s 2023 Fraud Strategy, fraud accounts for over 40% of all crime yet attracts less than 1% of police resource......
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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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