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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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EU General Court annuls sanctions on Azerbaijan-born businessman The EU’s General Court has overturned sanctions applied to the businessman during 2022–2023, ruling that the EU body overseeing sanctions lacked a credible foundation for the restrictive measures. Although the EU delisted Akhmedov in September 2023, he, having made his fortune by selling his shares in a Russian gas producer in 2012, pursued legal action to show he should never have been targeted. The court found that the Council — which had drawn on Wikipedia and press reports — failed to demonstrate that Akhmedov, who lives in Azerbaijan, is presently engaged in significant areas of the Russian economy. It held that the Council did not furnish ‘sufficiently specific, precise and consistent’ evidence establishing that Akhmedov was a ‘leading businessperson involved in economic sectors which provided a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian...
In this issue: Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Other financial crime Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Latest Q& A Financial sanctions OFSI reissues General Licence on funds of non-designated third parties The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI) has reissued General Licence INT/2024/4761108 under Regulation 64 of the Russia ( Sanctions) ( EU Exit) Regulations 2019, concerning funds of non-designated third parties where designated credit or financial institutions are involved. The General Licence is valid until 27 May 2026. See: LNB News 29/05/2024 15. OFSI updates Oil Price Cap General Licence– INT/2024/4423859 OFSI has revised the Oil Price Cap General Licence– INT/2024/4423859 and the related publication notice. The amendment removes coverage for supplying or delivering Russian oil by, or providing relevant services to,...
The share of upheld complaints climbed to 36% in the latest year, having been 27% or lower across each of the preceding three years overall. Complaints about closures linked to financial crime concerns or politically exposed persons have nearly trebled since 2020–2021 period. The committee is worried about the effects of account closures (debanking) on individuals and businesses. To deal with the issue properly, it needs to understand and remedy certain unhelpful and counterproductive aspects of anti-money laundering ( AML) laws. This article will set out the principal questions around crimes and immunities, the risks facing banks and the choices available to them, and, lastly, the potential for genuine change. Crimes and Immunities The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 ( POCA 2002) bars banks from handling funds that contain any proceeds of any criminal conduct, where they know or suspect that this is the case. It also...
Our update monitors proposed regulatory shifts affecting law firm compliance, enabling you to prepare for developments that could impact your organisation. Please review it thoroughly; key matters to keep on your radar appear below. New items we’re tracking this month UK national risk assessment — HM Treasury and the Home Office are refreshing the UK’s national risk assessments covering money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. The government is inviting evidence from the private sector on money laundering, etc., threats from 2020 to the present. Responses are due by Thursday 30 May 2024. See: AML, CTF and counter-proliferation financing FCA consultation on Financial Crime Guide update — the FCA is seeking views on proposed revisions to its Financial Crime Guide concerning sanctions, proliferation financing and transaction monitoring ......
David Lammy, Labour’s lead on foreign affairs, vowed today that the party will financially reward whistleblowers who expose sanctioned organisations that are stashing hidden funds. Payouts would be a share of any penalty issued by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, which can impose fines of one million pounds. Speaking at an event in London, Lammy said that 'toxic corruption and money laundering' was flourishing on Britain’s streets and in the nation’s 'darkest corners'. He added that around 40% of the world’s dirty money is washed through the UK, totalling billions of pounds......
In this issue: Practice Compliance forecast Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Other financial crime Artificial intelligence Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Practice Compliance forecast Practice Compliance forecast as at 22 May 2024 Our latest Practice Compliance forecast is now available. This month we cover: (1) a refresh of the UK’s national risk assessments on money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing; (2) a new FCA consultation proposing changes to its Financial Crime Guide; (3) newly updated LSB requirements, guidance and a statement on handling first-tier complaints; and (4) an update on the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. See News Analysis: Practice Compliance forecast as at 22 May 2024. Financial sanctions OFSI updates General Licence INT/2022/1839676 on Russian travel The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI) has amended General Licence...
Background Frontline legal regulators, such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority ( SRA), have a legal duty to oblige those they oversee to do one of the following: establish and maintain complaints procedures, or participate in procedures created and operated by another person. The complaints requirements imposed by frontline legal regulators must meet any requirements the LSB specifies from time to time. In August 2023, the LSB opened a consultation on proposals to strengthen its requirements concerning first-tier complaints. The LSB had earlier commissioned research into the hurdles consumers face when complaining about legal services and had noted that, in some areas, legal services providers’ complaints handling processes could function a great deal better than at present. The requirements published on 16 May are the LSB’s response to the problems it has identified. These requirements apply to frontline legal regulators, such as the SRA. They do not...
A combined jail term of five-and-a-half years imposed on Romy Andrianarisoa, once a senior aide to Madagascar’s president, and her French partner on 10 May 2024 drew a dramatic, high-profile London trial to a close, one that included secret footage of the pair covertly asking an undercover officer for bribes. The convictions—marking the first bribery case against a foreign official in the UK—were secured after the National Crime Agency received a tip-off from Gemfields, the British mining company that owns Faberge. That alert enabled NCA officers to gather vital evidence and to set up a carefully planned sting at a five-star London hotel. According to Zulfi Meerza of Rahman Ravelli, a former senior investigator at the Serious Fraud Office ( SFO), the matter was 'uniquely placed' because it rested on 'smoking gun' material that secured the guilty verdicts. ' It is hardly surprising we have not...
In this issue: Financial sanctions Fraud risk management Data protection Cybersecurity Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers Latest Q& A Financial sanctions Law Society makes recommendations on Russian sanctions Responding to the Treasury Select Committee’s inquiry into Russian financial sanctions, the Law Society of England and Wales has outlined proposals it says would aid the legal profession. It seeks clearer timelines for licensing, a reconsideration of licensing grounds deemed too narrow, and a review of the requirement to disclose the use of external counsel. On the last point, it observes that the current obligation has discouraged some UK companies from undertaking sanctions compliance risk assessments and has delivered no evident countervailing effect. See: LNB News 10/05/2024 20. OFSI updates UK financial sanctions general guidance on licensing The Office of Financial Sanctions...
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 ( ECCTA 2023) Enacted in October 2023, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 ( ECCTA 2023) introduces a new requirement for large companies and businesses to establish 'reasonable procedures' to shield themselves from prosecution for a failure to prevent fraud. This closely aligns with the UK's Bribery Act 2010, under which organisations can face charges for not preventing bribery. Junior Home Office minister Andrew Sharpe told the House of Lords, Parliament’s upper chamber, that guidance might arrive within weeks. ' The government......
In this issue: Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Economic crime Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Financial sanctions OFSI updates Enforcement and Monetary Penalties guidance The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI) has revised its Enforcement and Monetary Penalties guidance, with most changes focused on chapter 3 covering case assessment. The revision sets out how ‘case factors’ are considered and allocated when scrutinising suspected financial sanctions breaches. Two separate factors have been added: ‘knowledge, intention and reasonable cause to suspect’ and ‘co-operation’. OFSI also notes a change in chapter 6 regarding the delegation of ministerial reviews of monetary penalties. See: LNB News 02/05/2024 20. AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing The Law Society reports two-fifths of laundered money is through...
Background In March 2024, the Information Commissioner’s Office ( ICO) issued new guidance (the Guidance) explaining how it will determine penalty notices and set fines under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the assimilated Regulation ( EU) 2016/679 ( UK GDPR), and the Data Protection Act 2018 ( DPA 2018) (collectively, the UK data protection laws). This Guidance replaces the penalty notice sections of the ICO Regulatory Action Policy from November 2018 and is far more detailed. It applies to all fresh cases concerning infringements of the UK data protection laws, and to ongoing matters where no notice of intent to impose a fine has yet been served... What are the key questions on which the Guidance provides greater clarity? The Guidance is divided into three sections: statutory background circumstances in which the ICO would consider a penalty notice...
The Economic Crime Manifesto II The All- Party Parliamentary Group ( APPG) on Anti- Corruption and Responsible Tax, alongside the APPG on Fair Business Banking, has released The Economic Crime Manifesto II (the Manifesto). It follows the 2022 document and arrives amid intense focus and action on financial crime. Over intervening years, changes at home and abroad have unfolded, sharpening attention on risks and the UK’s capacity to respond. Serving as a sequel to the 2022 edition, this iteration lands amid intensified scrutiny and momentum across the financial crime landscape. In the meantime, notable shifts have occurred both internationally and at home. As the Manifesto underscores, the risk posed by financial crime—especially fraud—now appears particularly acute in the UK. Among the stark findings it sets out, the UK’s illicit finance issues are estimated to cost around £350bn annually, approaching 15% of national GDP. The...
In this issue: Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Other financial crime Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Question of the week Lex Talk®Practice Compliance: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Financial sanctions Legal Services General Licence expired and replaced The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI) has issued a replacement Legal Services General Licence, INT/2024/4671884, following the former licence’s expiry on 28 April 2024. The licence allows UK law firms and counsel that have provided legal advice to individuals designated under the Russian or Belarussian sanctions regimes to be paid by those clients. The new licence is valid from 29 April 2024 until 28 October 2024. See: LNB News 26/04/2024 54. OFSI launches FAQs OFSI has unveiled a new Frequently Asked Questions...
See Q& A: Do the FCA and the SRA use the same metrics when judging PEPs? Within the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds ( Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 ( MLR 2017), SI 2017/692, a politically exposed person ( PEP) is defined, for the purposes of those measures, as an individual entrusted with prominent public functions, rather than someone holding a middle-ranking position or a more junior official capacity as such, as set out expressly therein......
Following the government’s February 2024 campaign to highlight the victims’ code—a practical guide assisting victims of crime to understand the services and support they are entitled to in the UK—the focus has shifted back to the misuse, or perceived misuse, of NDAs and their effects. On 28 March, the UK Ministry of Justice announced plans to introduce legislation to ensure victims are not prevented from accessing justice or essential support services. [1] The proposed reforms would render ‘gagging’ provisions unenforceable where they would stop victims providing information about actual or alleged criminal conduct to: the police or other prosecuting authorities qualified and regulated legal practitioners, or other support services operating under clear confidentiality principles, including, for example, counsellors, advocacy services and medical professionals This article examines the drivers for the proposed legislation, the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s ( SRA’s) warning notice on the use of...
In this issue: Financial sanctions Economic crime Data protection Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Financial sanctions FCDO announces further sanctions on Iranian military figures The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ( FCDO), alongside the Prime Minister’s Office, confirmed that the UK, in a co-ordinated package with the United States, has imposed sanctions on seven individuals and six entities that enabled Iran’s attack on Israel. The individuals face a travel ban and asset freeze, while the entities are also subject to an asset freeze. See: LNB News 19/04/2024 10. Economic crime Interpol reports on conference discussing the threat of organised crime Interpol has outlined a conference for the week commencing 22 April 2024, aimed at strengthening Interpol’s global network against organised crime. Police officials from 136 countries will attend to identify ways to expand access to Interpol’s global databases and promote greater operational criminal data sharing. Delegates will join regional round tables on...
The Commission engaged with firms on a set of eight principles designed to curb the prevalence of cookie banners shown to people on their first visit to sites, aiming to make cookie choices more straightforward for users. EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders unveiled the pledge in March 2023 and was due to confirm which companies would sign up at a consumer summit in Brussels. Although businesses broadly embraced the initiative, a Commission spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement that most stakeholders involved judged a voluntary path on digital advertising to be premature, given the very recent roll-out of new rules in this area, including the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act......
In this issue: Practice Compliance forecast Financial sanctions 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 Practice Compliance forecast as at 16 April 2024 Our latest Practice Compliance forecast, dated 16 April 2024, is now available. This edition highlights: (1) progress on the consultation into the effectiveness of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017; (2) developments on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill; (3) the ICO’s approach to regulating artificial intelligence; and (4) several SRA consultations. See News Analysis: Practice Compliance forecast as at 16 April 2024. Financial sanctions FCDO announces new UK sanctions on businesses funding Sudan war The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has confirmed the UK will introduce new sanctions against companies that facilitate the activities of the Sudanese Armed Forces ( SAF) and Rapid Support Forces ( RSF), the military groups driving the conflict in Sudan. This...
We monitor proposed regulatory developments relevant to law firm compliance so you can prepare for any changes that may affect your organisation. Please review this carefully; key points that should be on your radar are highlighted below. Updates to existing items we’re tracking Consultation on the effectiveness of the MLR 2017 — HMT has scheduled a series of virtual, working‑level sessions to explore the consultation with interested stakeholders. See: AML, CTF and counter-proliferation financing Changes to the Economic Crime Levy — legislation is awaited to amend Finance Act 2022 s 54(2)(c), which sets the levy amount for very large entities. See: AML, CTF and counter-proliferation financing Le O strategy and business plan — Le O has released its final 2024–2027 strategy alongside its 2024/25 business plan and budget ......
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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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