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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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See Q& A: How can the underlying beneficial owner of a company be verified to comply with obligations contained in the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 if there is no person with overall control of the company? Under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds ( Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 ( MLR 2017), SI 2017/692, as amended, it is recognised that, at times, the beneficial owner of a body corporate cannot, in practice, be identified. In such circumstances, you may regard the most senior individual within the body corporate who manages it as the beneficial owner, but only after exhausting every reasonable avenue and all possible means to identify the true owner and either (i) failing to find one, or (ii) being unconvinced that any person found is genuinely, in fact, the beneficial owner......
The EU General Court has set aside the first round of sanctions on Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, ruling that the evidence did not adequately demonstrate links to Vladimir Putin’s regime or efforts to destabilise Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. The pair—major shareholders in Alfa Group, the conglomerate behind the Russian heavyweight Alfa Bank—remain listed while their challenge to a subsequent package of measures, imposed in March 2023 after their designation, moves through the courts in a separate action. Lawyers suggest this early win may encourage some of the other 1,700 listed people and organisations with cases before the European court, especially where proceedings in England have fizzled out. Maria Nizzero, a financial crime and security specialist at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said the decision marks a notable departure from UK court cases, where judges have shown marked deference to...
In this issue: AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Financial sanctions Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Question of the week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Home Office publishes outcome of consultation on POCA 2002 investigative powers The Home Office has released the government’s reply and conclusion to the consultation on ‘ Changes to bodies granted investigatory and other powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002’. As a result, powers for Accredited Financial Investigators will be extended to the Security Industry Authority, Food Standards Agency, Environment Agency, Public Sector Fraud Authority and the Department for Work and Pensions. These changes are implemented by The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 ( References to Financial Investigators) ( England and Wales and Northern Ireland) (...
See Q& A: What CDD challenges could remote working present? If your practice falls within the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds ( Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 ( MLR 2017), SI 2017/692, as amended, you are required to meet the statutory requirements at all times, regardless of how or where you work. The coronavirus ( COVID-19) pandemic prompted a widespread move to remote working and has remained widely adopted since; nonetheless, establishing who your client is and verifying their identity remains crucial and central to client due diligence ( CDD). Offenders did not stop during the pandemic, and some attempted to exploit the circumstances; indeed, some sought to take advantage of the situation. With remote and hybrid patterns continuing beyond that period, many of the CDD issues first considered then are still pertinent, as criminals continue to seek...
Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, has said the move is intended to end the 'murky world of non-disclosure agreements' Under plans to curb misuse of NDAs, those bound by confidentiality clauses would still be free to raise alleged criminality with key professionals and crime-fighting bodies. On 28 March 2024, Alex Chalk set out an ambition to end the ‘murky world’ where such agreements are used to conceal wrongdoing, adding that the reforms will make clear in law that gagging orders cannot lawfully be wielded against victims to block justice or silence them. Lawyers and the police Medical practitioners and counsellors Advocates and other organisations that investigate crime The change will not bite immediately; legislation will be brought forward ‘when parliamentary time allows’, the Ministry of Justice said. The Mo J also confirmed the bill will not capture NDAs signed before it secures royal...
In this issue: Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Question of the week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Financial sanctions Law360: On 22 and 23 February 2024, the UK, US and EU rolled out substantial new measures on the second anniversary of Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine. See News Analysis: New Russia sanctions reveal international enforcement capabilities. AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Law360: The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s failed bid to impose a penalty on Dentons for its AML checks on a former client is a setback for the regulator’s enforcement agenda which, if confirmed, could make future prosecutions more cautious, according to lawyers. See News Analysis: Dentons AML ruling deals blow to SRA's enforcement plans. The National Crime Agency ( NCA) has released issue 25 of the UK...
See Q& A: Which breaches of the SRA Standards and Regulations are subject to fixed penalty fines? The Solicitors Regulation Authority ( SRA) is authorised to issue fixed penalty fines for defined infringements of the SRA Standards and Regulations ( Sta Rs). The infringements that attract a fixed penalty are detailed in rule 11.2 of the SRA Regulatory and Disciplinary Procedure Rules......
What do online services likely to be accessed by children need to consider? The ICO issued a refreshed Opinion on age assurance for the Children’s Code in January 2024, a little over two years after the initial publication. The updated document emphasises that this field is fast-moving, still advancing and in flux, with the recent growth in AI use and the commencement of the OSA 2023 driving changes to the earlier text. Although Ofcom will oversee the OSA 2023, Ofcom will draw upon the ICO’s work undertaken since the Children’s Code was first produced, and the two regulators have been—and continue to be—working closely together on these matters. Between the first and revised editions, the ICO shaped its guidance through focus groups and engagement with innovators, specialists, technologists and organisations. It also carried out voluntary audits, reviewing how online services recognise risks to...
The latest measures further widen the already broad reach of sanctions on Russia. Importantly, certain additions pursue Europe-based individuals and entities suspected of sanctions evasion. This sits against a backdrop of Western governments closely scrutinising the effectiveness of sanctions on Russia and declaring an intention to ramp up enforcement against evaders. This article considers the expansion of sanctions from a UK viewpoint, with reference to the US and EU, and evaluates the UK government’s current steps to enhance the effectiveness of sanctions enforcement. Russia sanctions On 22 February 2024, the UK imposed over 50 new sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine, targeting core sources of Russian revenue and tightening controls on metals, diamonds and the energy trade. The following day, the US added more than 500 further sanctions targets in response to Russia’s invasion and the recent death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a...
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ( SDT) has rejected the SRA’s prosecution of Dentons concerning its work for a politically exposed banker from a former Soviet state. The panel dismissed the case despite concluding the firm had contravened the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, SI 2007/2157. While the SDT found Dentons did not take sufficient steps to verify the client’s source of wealth, it decided there was no breach of the SRA’s principles. The tribunal has not yet released its reasoning. The SRA said it will review the written judgment before determining its next move... The outcome serves as a cautionary moment for the SRA after it obtained a series of fines against prominent firms for anti-money laundering failings. ‘ There’s no doubt that this is not the result the SRA will have wanted,’ commented Harriet Holmes, a manager at Thirdfort, a risk...
At a joint webcast meeting, the committees on economic affairs and on justice and home affairs voted overwhelmingly for a compromise on legislation earlier agreed by negotiators representing the Parliament and EU governments. The legislative package will set up a European authority to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism......
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 19 March 2024 Our latest Practice Compliance forecast (as at 19 March 2024) is now available. This month we cover: (1) a consultation reviewing the effectiveness of the MLR 2017; (2) the UK government’s sanctions strategy; (3) an update to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill; and (4) ICO guidance on both biometric data and data protection fining. Refer to Practice Note: Practice Compliance forecast as at 19 March 2024. Financial sanctions Cabinet Office and PSFA announce upgrade to government AI fraud detection tool The Cabinet Office and the Public Sector Fraud Authority ( PSFA) have...
We track proposed regulatory changes relevant to law firm compliance so you can plan for developments that may affect your organisation. You should review this carefully, but key items that ought to be on your radar are highlighted below. New items we’re tracking this month Consultation on the effectiveness of the MLR 2017—on 11 March 2024, HM Treasury launched a consultation on the effectiveness of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds ( Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 ( MLR 2017). See: AML, CTF and counter-proliferation financing Survey on the cost of complying with the MLR 2017—in parallel with the above consultation, HM Treasury is running a survey on the cost of compliance with the MLR 2017. See: AML, CTF and counter-proliferation financing FCA to produce interpretive guidance regarding domestic PEPs—in its Sectoral Risk...
Background On 23 February 2022, the Commission unveiled its proposal for a new Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. The measure seeks to create a corporate sustainability due diligence duty, obliging companies to conduct checks across their supply chains to identify and then prevent, mitigate, or stop actual and potential adverse effects of their activities on human rights and the environment. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive ( CSDDD) sits within a broader legislative framework on sustainable corporate governance alongside the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive ( Directive ( EU) 2022/2464), and complements measures in the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation ( Regulation ( EU) 2019/2088) and the EU Taxonomy Regulation ( Regulation ( EU) 2020/852). Which companies are in scope? As provisionally agreed in December 2023, the CSDDD was initially intended to apply to EU companies with more than 500 employees and a net...
The new probe into an alleged investment scam run by the property developers Carlauren Group The fresh inquiry into a purported investment fraud linked to property developer Carlauren Group signals that the white-collar watchdog is zeroing in on sprawling, intricate domestic scams that have left tens of thousands short-changed. Prioritising fraud underscores the magnitude of the challenge confronting consumers across Britain, while also indicating that Ephgrave recognises the SFO must bring matters to a conclusion more rapidly. According to Alex Swan of Greenberg Traurig LLP, the director has plainly committed to tackling fraud and to sending a strong message that the SFO will not only chase what some see as ‘big ticket’ cross-border work, but will also safeguard members of the UK public who have been defrauded. This case follows a succession of arrests and searches executed by the SFO since Ephgrave succeeded Lisa Osofsky in...
See Q& A: When does the 72-hour time limit for notifying the ICO of a data breach start to run? Article 33 of the General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR), setting out obligations to report data breaches, took effect on 25 May 2018......
Italy and France, two countries that had voiced concerns over the law’s effect on their businesses’ competitiveness, accepted Belgian eleventh-hour concessions that lift the annual revenue threshold for companies to be caught by the law from €300m to €450m. According to the agreed text, only companies with more than a thousand employees will fall within the scope of the law. Belgium, which has been chairing legislative discussions among member states as the current holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency, also pared back some oversight provisions......
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 Trackers New and updated content Latest Q& As Financial sanctions Reflecting on the key developments for sanctions lawyers in 2023 and predicting what 2024 might hold Diana Czugler, a senior associate at Peters & Peters, outlines the principal takeaways from 2023 for sanctions practitioners and organisations aiming to meet sanctions obligations, and weighs likely sanctions trends for 2024. See News Analysis: Reflecting on the key developments for sanctions lawyers in 2023 and predicting what 2024 might hold. The good, the bad and the new of the UK sanctions regime Law360: Nearly six years have elapsed since the UK Sanctions and Money Laundering Act came into force, and two years since...
Throughout 2023 and into early 2024, attention was firmly fixed on the implementation and enforcement of sanctions under the UK’s autonomous post‑ Brexit regime, with Russia the prime focus. Per the most recent officially reported data, as at 31 March 2023 the UK’s consolidated list of financial sanctions targets, maintained by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI), named 3,883 designated persons. Those individuals and entities were subject to an asset freeze (or other restrictions) across 35 sanctions regimes. These totals are likely to have increased substantially over the past 12 months, and we expect them to rise further between now and the end of the year. Alongside the expansion of the roster of sanctioned persons, 2023 also brought a suite of new financial and trade prohibitions. Measures introduced under the Russia regime have included limits on providing trust services and legal...
A representative for Dentons UK and Middle East LLP stated that a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal panel had found it had not violated anti-money laundering rules while acting for a politically exposed client from a former Soviet state. The firm maintained it had adhered fully to the relevant regulations that applied at the time, at all material times......
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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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