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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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 plans allocate £15m in extra funding to bolster the City of London Police’s domestic corruption unit, ramp up the use of sanctions, and stage a global summit on tackling illicit finance in 2026. David Lammy, the justice secretary and deputy prime minister, unveiled the approach in a London speech on 8 December 2025. He said that the measures would, in particular, help to close loopholes exploited by kleptocrats and organised criminals. The Home Office also stated that financial rewards for whistleblowers who identify economic crime will be on the table to encourage more insiders to report financial misconduct. The government introduced a comparable strategy for large-scale tax fraud in November 2025......
In this issue: Sanctions AML, CTF & counter‑proliferation financing Other financial crime Other Risk & Compliance updates this week Lex Talk®Risk & Compliance: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Sanctions General Licence INT/2025/8031092 issued by OFSI The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI) has granted General Licence INT/2025/8031092 under regulation 64 of the Russia ( Sanctions) ( EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/855. This licence enables ongoing business with Lukoil International Entities, extending beyond the prior authorisation limited to Lukoil Bulgaria to encompass wider international operations. See: LNB News 28/11/2025 26. Update to OFSI General Licence INT/2022/2349952 HM Treasury and OFSI have revised General Licence INT/2022/2349952 to align with amendments to Schedule 3E, Part 2A of the Russia ( Sanctions) ( EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/855. The change broadens the term...
If adopted, these reforms could significantly raise penalties, trim concessions for voluntary self-disclosure, and bring in fresh responses to breaches, including settlement pathways. The proposals would align OFSI more closely with the enforcement model of its US peer, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC), a sophisticated, high-powered body with which it has developed an ever broader partnership since 2022, centred on information sharing, joint enforcement and harmonised implementation approaches. OFSI is likewise taking cues from other seasoned UK regulators, such as the Financial Conduct Authority, with which it is working closely. OFSI is progressing, and with that shift come heightened UK sanctions exposures for banks and companies within UK enforcement reach. OFSI's expanding enforcement activity Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, OFSI has more than doubled its headcount, with a marked emphasis on licensing and...
Risk & Compliance weekly highlights—27 November 2025 In this issue: Risk & Compliance forecast Data Protection AML, CTF & Counter- Proliferation Financing Other Financial Crime Other Risk & Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Risk & Compliance forecast New Risk & Compliance forecast as at 25 November 2025 The latest Risk & Compliance forecast, dated 25 November 2025, is now available. This edition covers: (1) the ICO’s fresh consultation on procedural guidance for data protection enforcement, (2) HMT’s response to its consultation on reforming the AML/ CTF Supervision Regime, (3) revised HMRC AML supervision fees, and (4) the JMLSG consultation proposing updates to Part I of its guidance. See News Analysis: New Risk & Compliance forecast as at 25 November 2025. Data Protection Data ( Use and Access) Act 2025 (...
New Risk & Compliance forecast as at 25 November 2025 Our latest Risk & Compliance forecast dated 25 November 2025 maps proposed regulatory developments affecting risk and compliance, enabling you to prepare for potential impacts on your organisation. Please review it carefully; key points that should remain on your radar are highlighted below. New items we’re tracking this month ICO consultation on data protection enforcement procedural guidance—the ICO is seeking views on draft guidance setting out the approach it takes when conducting investigations and using its enforcement powers under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. The consultation ends on 23 January 2026. See: Data protection, AI and cybersecurity......
In this issue: Sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Other financial crime Other Risk & Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Sanctions OFSI issues General Licence INT/2025/7895596 The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation has granted General Licence INT/2025/7895596 under regulation 64 of the Russia ( Sanctions) ( EU Exit) Regulations 2019 ( SI 2019/855). The licence authorises ongoing business with Lukoil Bulgaria EOOD and Lukoil Neftochim Burgas AD, including any entities they own or control. It permits payments to and from the Lukoil Bulgaria entities under existing or new contracts, payments with other parties made under those contracts, and the supply or receipt of economic resources from the Lukoil Bulgaria entities. The licence takes effect on 14 November 2025 and lapses on 14 February 2026. See: LNB News 14/11/2025 33. OFSI removes two expired general licences from active list OFSI has taken two lapsed general licences off its...
Salinas retained the strategy consultancy B. C. Strategy UK Ltd—known as Black Cube—to conduct an ‘unethical’ undercover operation to secure an edge in the litigation against his adversary, Vladimir Sklarov, as recorded in a High Court judgment formally delivered on 13 November 2025. Judge Stephen Houseman described such conduct as ‘anathema to the fundamental basis or premise of civil proceedings’. The judge added that Salinas misused the court’s process by relying on the unlawfully obtained material to seek summary judgment in his favour. Despite those conclusions, the court declined to strike out the fraud claim, instead granting permission to appeal. The judgment explains that Salinas’ ‘abnormal and abusive’ behaviour must be assessed against the ‘distinct policy in favour of exposing and remedying serious wrongdoing such as fraud’. According to the judgment, Sklarov’s former litigation solicitor, identified only as ‘ X’, was tricked into...
Risk & Compliance weekly highlights—13 November 2025 In this issue: Data protection Sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Other financial crime Other Risk & Compliance updates this week Trackers New and updated content Data protection EDPB adopts opinion on Commission draft adequacy decision for Brazil The European Data Protection Board ( EDPB) has issued an opinion on the European Commission’s draft adequacy decision concerning the level of protection for personal data in Brazil. Requested by the Commission, the opinion evaluates whether Brazil’s data protection regime, and the rules governing public authorities’ access to personal data transferred from the EU, provide safeguards equivalent to those required under EU law. The EDPB highlights the close alignment between Brazil’s framework and EU legislation, together with relevant case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union. Nonetheless, it calls on the Commission to offer additional clarifications and to oversee specific areas, including Data...
In recent weeks, penalties aimed at Russia’s energy industry have widened markedly, reflecting concerns that Moscow is not genuinely pursuing a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. Designed to squeeze funding for Russia’s war effort, the measures seek to curb income from worldwide sales of fossil fuels. UK actions of 15 October 2025, followed by US steps on 22 October 2025 and EU measures on 23 October 2025, focus on Russia’s two biggest oil producers, Rosneft Oil Co and Lukoil OAO, and extend to entities in third countries that broker or trade Russian energy products. The UK and EU have additionally trailed new trade curbs linked to energy, targeting Russian liquefied natural gas ( LNG) and refined oil produced in third countries from Russian crude. Collectively, these moves mark a notable intensification of sanctions on Russia, with scope to influence diverse...
This development follows the recent snapback of all nuclear‑related sanctions on Iran at UN level, after the United Nations Security Council declined to extend sanctions relief. The EU has revived its restrictive measures through six legal instruments. Four took effect on 29 September 2025: Council Decision ( CFSP) 2025/1978, Council Implementing Decision ( CFSP) 2025/1971, Council Implementing Regulation ( EU) 2025/1980 and Council Implementing Regulation ( EU) 2025/1982. The remaining two entered into force on 30 September 2025: Council Regulation ( EU) 2025/1975 and Council Decision ( CFSP) 2025/1972. Collectively, these acts reinstate measures previously adopted by the UN Security Council and transposed into EU law, alongside additional autonomous EU restrictions. These include targeted sanctions on named individuals and entities—travel bans, asset freezes and a bar on providing funds or other economic...
According to Home Office data released on 6 November 2025, the figure is up 13% on the prior quarter and 35% higher than the equivalent period in 2024. The statistics indicate UK nationals made up 20% of referrals this quarter, with Eritrean people comprising 16% and Somali nationals 10% during the period under review, according to the official release. The NRM is the UK’s mechanism for identifying and assisting potential victims of modern slavery. It enables authorised first responders to submit referrals for an official decision on whether someone has been trafficked, which in turn governs their entitlement to support and protection......
In this issue: Sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Other financial crime Other Risk & Compliance updates this week Lex Talk®Risk & Compliance: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Sanctions OFSI updates General Licence INT/2024/5394840 The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation has revised General Licence INT/2024/5394840. It allows relevant institutions to handle payments made in 2022 that originate from, or pass through, a designated credit or financial institution, provided the original sender and the originally intended recipient are not designated persons. Expiry extended to 7 November 2027 Definition of a designated credit or financial institution updated Reporting conditions amended Under the new reporting rules, relevant institutions must notify HM Treasury within 14 days after each calendar month end, setting out any payments processed under the licence during that month. Reports must state the...
Two years later, the outlook for the SFO appears markedly altered. Over the past quarter, it has secured a significant new charging avenue via the failure to prevent fraud offence, recovered £1.1m through its inaugural unexplained wealth order ( UWO), and brought charges against six people arising from a pension fraud probe. Against that backdrop, we reflect on the themes that have shaped Ephgrave’s tenure leading the SFO so far, and consider what may follow. Kicking down new doors and closing old ones In February 2024, delivering his first public address as director, Ephgrave set out a drive to accelerate casework and make the SFO bolder, more pragmatic, more proactive. His opening months featured a spike in dawn raids, and he said the team had gone through more front doors in three months than in the previous three years. Eighteen months later, that pace...
In this issue: Sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Supply chain Other Risk & Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Sanctions OFSI updates UK Financial Sanctions FAQs OFSI has refreshed the UK Financial Sanctions FAQs, adding FAQs 170 and 171 linked to the recently published Legal Services General Licence INT/2025/7323088. FAQ 170 sets out the principal amendments made by the licence, together with their implications for law firms, legal advisers, counsel, and providers of expenses. FAQ 171 confirms the licence allows fees to be paid from overseas into UK bank accounts, or specified non- UK accounts, where all licence terms are satisfied. FAQs 54 and 76 have also been moved to the withdrawn FAQs document. See: LNB News 27/10/2025 30. OTSI announces updates to licensing platform for sanctioned trade...
The solicitors’ professional body said it has collaborated with the University of Leeds’ Inter- Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre and the whistleblowing charity Protect to create a second edition of an ethics framework for in-house solicitors, months after it launched the first. The framework provides a complimentary, free suite of tools, resources, materials and templates to support practitioners in meeting their legal and ethical professional duties in their day-to-day practice. This updated version introduces fresh whistleblowing guidance, developed by the Law Society together with Protect. It also contains a model whistleblowing policy template that organisations can adopt, or use to assess, review and refine their current procedure. According to the Law Society’s website, the added whistleblowing resources fill a significant gap, as......
The government has published four consultations in relation to the Employment Rights Bill ( ERB), which cover the following areas: the obligation on employers to tell workers of their right to join a trade union the right of trade unions to access workplaces physically, and to communicate with workers in person or digitally enhanced workplace protections against dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers a new entitlement to bereavement leave, including for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks This overview outlines the proposals in each consultation, the questions posed and the deadline for responding. For information on the progress of the ERB generally, see Practice Note: Employment Rights Bill—tracker. Duty to inform workers of right to join a trade union The ERB will introduce a new duty requiring employers to issue workers with a written statement, advising them of their right to join a trade union at the...
In its long-awaited reply to the consultation, HM Treasury ( HMT) confirmed the government will establish a unified supervisor for professional services. HMT has appointed the FCA to monitor compliance for 60,000 regulated law firms delivering legal, accountancy, and trust and company services. According to the government, the best way to supervise AML and CTF is for a public organisation to oversee professional services firms. ' Bringing professional services under the FCA’s AML/ CTF supervision will align them with other sectors covered by the money laundering regulations — already monitored by public bodies — and will streamline an overly complex regulatory landscape,' HMT noted. The government added that new legislation, funding arrangements, and a transition plan are required before full implementation of the......
In this issue: Data Protection Sanctions AML, CTF & Counter- Proliferation Financing Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Data Protection EDPB adopts opinions on UK data adequacy extensions The European Data Protection Board ( EDPB) has issued Opinions 26/2025 and 27/2025 on the European Commission’s draft measures to prolong the UK adequacy decisions under the General Data Protection Regulation ( Regulation ( EU) 2016/679) and the Law Enforcement Directive ( Directive ( EU) 2016/680) through to December 2031. While recognising the continuing alignment between the UK and EU data protection regimes, the Board has encouraged the Commission to keep a close watch on UK developments that could influence the protection standard, including changes introduced by the Data ( Use and Access) Act 2025 and the governance of the Information Commissioner’s Office ( ICO). See: LNB News...
In a High Court defence dated 9 October 2025 and only recently disclosed to the public, David Crisp, former chief executive of Valorem Group, contends the allegations against him ought to be struck out as an abuse of the court’s process and a ‘contrivance’, and should therefore be dismissed. The firm alleges he breached his duties by continuing to sell products in Russia despite sanctions. His defence asserts Valorem’s High Court claim is disingenuous and the ‘culmination of a campaign’ to ‘drain the defendant financially and emotionally through prolonged court proceedings so he would be compelled to dispose of his shares at a markedly undervalued price’. It further states that Valorem itself kept trading in Russia while sanctions were in force, with chairman David Garofalo’s knowledge and awareness. Accordingly, he says, it cannot amount to a breach of duty for Crisp to have acted...
This package of measures spans financial penalties, travel prohibitions, asset freezes and bans on exporting materials, goods and technologies that aid Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Paused by the UN under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA) brokered in 2015 by the Obama administration alongside China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK, these restrictions are now being revived by the relevant authorities. The Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC) has already unveiled two waves of new entries to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons ( SDN) list to underpin the snapback. On 29 September 2025, the European Commission likewise moved to reinstate all of these measures—and additional ones beyond the prior scope. On 30 September 2025, the UK named 71 individuals as part of a staged approach to reimpose UN sanctions. It would be a mistake to regard 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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