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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 Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common.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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Non-financial misconduct Sarah Pritchard, the FCA’s deputy chief executive, wrote in a letter published on 28 October 2025 that probes into so-called non-financial misconduct have climbed over the past three years. She told the House Commons Treasury Committee that conduct such as bullying, harassment or violence is a regulatory concern, and that when the FCA obtains reports or other intelligence indicating this is happening at a regulated firm, it will scrutinise the matter and take action where required. Non-financial misconduct is an expansive term, covering violence, bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination. The FCA has made clear that it intends to tackle this issue decisively......
What constitutes ‘ Innovative’? For the Innovator Founder visa, innovation means a business concept that is original, distinct from existing offerings, sustainable, and capable of scaling. Applicants need to evidence that their proposal is: innovative—a concept that does not duplicate UK businesses and addresses a defined problem or gap in the market viable—a venture that can operate sustainably, supported by a credible revenue model and realistic financial forecasts scalable—plans that indicate potential for job creation and growth across national or international markets Practitioners should note—and be able to reference—the core innovation principles set out in the Scale-up and Innovator Founder visa endorsing bodies caseworker guidance (v.04/2023, p.10). These require that: the business proposition demonstrates a clear, persuasive unique selling proposition the proposition is not easily copied and/or shows reasonable barriers to market entry against replication of the...
What rehabilitation involves Rehabilitation is a broad umbrella term. At its best, it draws on a multidisciplinary model, with a team of therapists recruited and overseen by a case manager. The case manager co-ordinates and project-manages the input, monitors progress, and intervenes to secure the strongest possible outcome. Both therapeutic input and case management are fundamentally people-centred. However far AI progresses in the short, medium and long term future, it is hard to imagine a moment when either role could be automated completely, or even in part. Even so, AI can reduce administrative burdens and enable those involved to maximise contact time with people who need support. Harnessing data and AI If we consider the information typically available for each individual patient—previous treatments, medicines and test results—it is easy to see how this could be complemented by data on their...
The reinsurers, in their High Court defence, argue the bank cannot seek monetary compensation for the engine it claims it no longer holds because the two‑year limitation has now expired. The defence, dated 17 October 2025 and only recently disclosed to the public, states that reinsurance contracts are subject to rules governing business risk insurance. They characterise the contracts, under Russian law, as a particular form of property insurance contract. On that legal basis, the limitation clock starts when the creditor submits a demand for performance, the reinsurers say. They add that the two‑year period for the claimant’s rights under the Insurance policy and/or the reinsurance policies lapsed on 13 September 2024. Bank of Utah, acting solely as owner trustee of the engine and not in its individual capacity, brought civil proceedings against Russian insurer Alfa Strakhovanie in August 2025 for up to...
Introduction by Guy Wilkes, partner and Lexis+ Consulting Editorial Board member It has been an exceptionally active few months for the FCA, both in terms of settled disciplinary cases and a string of successes before the Upper Tribunal. The standout development—at least by media coverage—was the Upper Tribunal decision against Jes Staley, former CEO of Barclays Bank, which drew widespread press interest. In one sense, the outcome felt almost inevitable: Mr Staley was found to have misled the FCA, as with the matter concerning H2O’s former CEO, Lars Windhorst. But the facts here are strikingly different. His misleading statements arose when answering FCA queries about his links to Jeffrey Epstein. That, in turn, poses a difficult question: with no evidence of wrongdoing or improper conduct, should the FCA be probing such personal ground?......
Retirement of Lord Justice Underhill This discussion opens with a tribute to Lord Justice Underhill, for whom this was among his final judgments, one of the last delivered. He served as the Vice- President of the Court of Appeal Civil Division from 2018 through to 2025. Over that span, he made defining contributions to immigration law, including determining the well-known Rwanda judgment, major trafficking cases, and significant authorities concerning different elements of the Immigration Rules. What was the background? The case examined the legality of the Home Office’s family reunion policy for child refugees—children under 18 granted refugee or humanitarian protection status in the UK, and whose parents or siblings sought to join them from overseas. Under the policy, child refugees could sponsor relatives only where refusal would lead to ‘unjustifiably harsh consequences’, a threshold described as ‘exceptional circumstances’ and commonly associated with Article 8 ECHR. That...
John Boulting v HMRC [2025] UKFTT 1272 ( TC) In this appeal, the FTT was asked to determine whether a company buy‑back of its own shares satisfied the trade benefit condition in section 1033(2) of the Corporation Tax Act 2010. The statutory test requires that the purchase is made wholly or mainly for the purpose of benefiting a trade carried on by the company, or by any of its 75% subsidiaries. Where that standard is met, the consideration given for the buy‑back is treated as capital in the hands of the shareholder for tax purposes. The factual background to the buy‑back was largely common ground. Senior management were divided on the business’s future direction, notably around proposed investment in fixed assets to modernise premises and upgrade the organisation’s IT facilities. The transaction was pursued as a means of settling those differences by enabling the...
The Irish challenger bank confirmed it has launched a formal sale process, aiming to secure a new, long-term owner for the institution, according to the bank. It further added that the exercise is being run under the Irish Takeover Rules, with Goldman Sachs International appointed as its financial adviser for the process. PTSB, which describes itself as Ireland’s third-largest bank, reported a marked rise in demand for its shares among international investors, the lender noted......
Credit Suisse Virtuoso Sicav- Sif (in respect of its Sub- Fund, the Credit Suisse ( Lux) Supply Chain Finance Fund) and another company v Softbank Group Corp and other companies [2025] EWHC 2631 ( Ch) What was the background? This dispute arose from an intricate financing arrangement connecting the Greensill, Katerra and Soft Bank groups. Credit Suisse Virtuoso Sicav‑ SIF ( Credit Suisse) invested, through its Credit Suisse ( Lux) Supply Chain Finance Fund (the SCF Subfund), in notes arranged and administered in England by Greensill Capital ( UK) Ltd ( GCUK) and issued by Hoffman S.à r.l. ( Hoffman) under a scheme known as the Fairymead Multi‑ Obligor Programme (the Fairymead Note Programme). The intended collateral for that programme comprised certain rights (the Participations) granted under a Participation Agreement dated 19 December 2019 by a special purpose vehicle, Greensill Ltd ( GL), to its...
Gordon Winter Company Ltd v NH International ( Caribbean) Ltd ( Trinidad and Tobago) [2025] UKPC 52 What was the background? This case involved difficulties with piling. NH International ( Caribbean) Ltd (‘ NH’) acted as main contractor; Gordon Winter Company Ltd (‘ GW’) was its sub-contractor. Unforeseen ground conditions made the piling substantially harder than expected, necessitating departures from the original specification and adjustments to the method adopted. Although GW received some payments, nothing was paid after April 2006. Thereafter, GW stopped work and vacated the site in early June 2006, after which NH appointed a replacement contractor to finish the piles. In December 2006, GW issued proceedings to recover the value of the varied piling on a quantum meruit, advanced on a non-contractual unjust enrichment basis, expressly asserting that no relevant contract subsisted between the parties. NH responded with a...
IDDQD Ltd v Codeberry & Smith, Royal Mail Group Ltd v Codeberry & Smith [2025] EWHC 2561 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? Rulings on database right infringement are infrequent, so this judgment offers valuable direction for practitioners in this field. It matters especially to digital enterprises working with extensive datasets sourced from third parties. The court confirmed that the sui generis database right in the Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997 ( CRD 1997) safeguards significant investment in collecting, checking and arranging information. Early-stage companies cannot depend on indirect or ‘open data’ sources where those datasets embed protected content. The judgment also clarifies that employing licensed material to ‘cleanse’, ‘validate’ or ‘update’ one’s own dataset still amounts to extraction or re-utilisation when substantial elements of another database are carried across. The court further touched on...
Mergers Notifications received: AIP/ International Paper ( Global Cellulose Fibres Business) ( M.12157) – simplified; Advent/ Sapiens ( M.12156) – simplified; Rhône Capital/ Invacare/ DHG ( M.12089) – normal procedure. Note— For all live merger probes, see further, EU mergers—ongoing cases tracker. State aid Under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework, the Commission approved an Italian scheme (€219m) to expand manufacturing capacity in Lazio—see further, Midday Express. Case T-568/25, Ryanair v Commission: action for annulment against decisions SA.114648 (2024/ N) and SA.114657 (2024/ N) – Sweden – Denmark – Amendment to SA.57543 and SA.58342—see further, application. Case C-477/25 Servicekörperschaft: German reference on whether tax relief for non‑profit service corporations aiding tax‑privileged bodies is State aid under Article 107(1) TFEU, and whether widening that relief alters existing aid under Article 108(3) TFEU—see further,...
R ( Ammori) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 1311 What are the practical implications of this case? Understanding the effect of this ruling will assist practitioners advising clients on how to challenge proscription decisions. The Court of Appeal concluded that, although Parliament has created a statutory route to contest an order adding an organisation to the proscribed list, an application for deproscription is not a substitute for judicial review of the proscription decision itself. The court clarified that the deproscription procedure, and any appeal from a refusal, serves to end proscription where circumstances have changed. While an organisation may have been a proper candidate for proscription when the order was made, conditions can shift, and the group may in time cease to be involved in terrorism. The Court of Appeal also stated that an applicant may argue, as a ground for...
Attorney General, Lord Hermer KC, gave evidence to the National Security Strategy Joint Committee Parliament’s slow move to scrap and replace the Official Secrets Act 1911 was a factor in a prominent espionage prosecution collapsing, the Attorney General told the National Security Strategy Joint Committee. Lord Hermer KC noted that, in 2017, the Law Commission warned MPs that the term 'enemy' in the statute was highly problematic and would cause difficulties for future cases. He said the Crown Prosecution Service would have had no difficulty bringing the matter to trial had Parliament acted on that advice earlier and passed the National Security Act before its 2023 enactment. He added that he struggled to see why the measure took so long, and that, had the new law applied during 2021–2023, he was certain the prosecution would have proceeded to trial. In April 2024, the CPS...
Zurich stated its partnership with the University of St Gallen in Switzerland and the Agentic Systems Lab at ETH Zurich, a separate university, will seek to transform the way insurance is delivered and experienced by customers. The programme, to be headed by a cohort of Ph D and master's students mentored by Zurich employees and university professors, aims to speed up and create 'scalable solutions' that tackle real-world insurance challenges and reshape what consumers should anticipate from their providers, the announcement says......
Statement follows, formal complaint attached. Complaint v Ireland to Commission re process appointing ex- Meta lobbyist as DPC. 28 October 2025 The absence of protections against conflicts of interest and political meddling will be widely read by the technology sector as a clear green light for impunity. Today, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties lodged a formal complaint about Ireland with the Commission. As set out in the filing, Ireland did not ensure sufficient guarantees of independence and neutrality in the procedure to select a new DPC. That procedure culminated in choosing a former Meta lobbyist. EU law demands that supervisory bodies be not only independent and impartial, but also stand above any......
Irish airline Ryanair has received a chargesheet in an Italian abuse-of-dominance probe started two years ago, MLex has learnt Officials are examining suspected tactics that hamper travel agencies’ ability to sell Ryanair tickets and ancillary services, while funnelling customers towards the carrier’s own direct sales channels. According to MLex, the Italian antitrust authority, the AGCM, issued an extensive formal statement of objections less than a month ago, clearly once again restating concerns it expressed when launching the case in September 2023. The inquiry into Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers is currently slated to wrap up by December 2025, yet is being significantly hindered by Ryanair’s ongoing court actions in both Italy and Ireland. At the Italian regulator’s request, Ireland’s antitrust authority raided Ryanair’s Dublin airport offices last year, and the airline has also gone to court to reclaim documents the AGCM seized and relied upon in its...
Mergers The CMA issued a revocation order, withdrawing the initial enforcement order dated 15 May 2025, connected to the completed acquisition of Macquarie Rotorcraft Limited by SMFL LCI Helicopters Limited—see further, case page. NOTE— For all live mergers before the CMA, see further, UK mergers—ongoing cases tracker. Private actions The CAT released the application in Spreadex Limited v CMA (1753/4/12/25), appealing the CMA’s decision in Spreadex/ Sporting Index (remittal) and asking that the decision be quashed—see further, application. The CAT handed down a ruling in Dr Sean Ennis v Apple Inc and Others, an opt-out collective proceedings application alleging abuse of dominance by Apple in the i OS app distribution market. The order declined Apple’s request for a split-trial—see further, ruling. NOTE— For live private actions in the UK that have been made public, see further, UK private actions—ongoing cases...
More than one in four adults are unsure who manages their pension, while two in three have never attempted to recover misplaced or overlooked pension pots. This comes even though the typical unclaimed pot is valued at £9,470, as reported by the Pensions Policy Institute in 2024. Mike Ambery, Standard Life's Retirement and Savings Director, cautioned in a statement that 'millions' of UK employees could miss out on retirement money after losing sight of their pension funds. With frequent career moves now commonplace, he added, it is all too simple for pots to be forgotten, or fall off the radar completely altogether......
The National Cyber Security Centre ( NCSC) reported handling 204 such incidents across the UK in the 12 months to August 2025—up from 89 in 2024 during the previous year. The body deems an attack nationally significant when it leads to prolonged disruption of vital services or threatens national security. The NCSC, a component of Government Communications Headquarters ( GCHQ), also noted that 18 out of the 429 incidents it recorded were labelled ‘highly significant’—those with the potential to have a serious impact on essential services. That represented a rise of nearly 50% in attacks falling into that categorisation compared with the year before. Richard Horne, chief executive, said cybersecurity is now a matter of business survival and national resilience......
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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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