Legal News

Announcing the Plan Presenting the Plan, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, remarked: ‘ The idea is straightforward: care should be provided as near as possible—digital by default, in a patient’s home where feasible, in a neighbourhood health centre when required, and in a hospital if necessary.’ In recent months there has been a flurry of groundbreaking activity, including government moves to set out its ‘3 big shifts’, dissolve NHS England, reshape integrated care boards, and sharply reduce non-clinical spending and workforce; NHS organisations have been told to press on with this—so it has, at points, been easy to overlook that the overarching plan itself was not yet published. Now it is, and although the finer points of delivery are still being developed, we have clearer direction and the opportunity for system leaders to begin taking steps forward to...

Anthony Arter, who left his post as interim chair of the Pensions Ombudsman on 30 June 2025, stated on 2 July 2025 that he wished ministers could secure extra funding for the Pensions Dishonesty Unit ( PDU) in due course. Arter set out this view in a letter to the parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee after it became clear that the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP) had cut off financing for the PDU. Enquiries are, in effect, being paused after October 2025. ‘ The PDU was an important advance for the industry, offering a fresh route to bring wrongdoers to account through to final,......

Justice Julian Flaux, writing for the Court of Appeal, said the assertion by the companies that revised arrangements agreed by class representatives and litigation funders were still damage-based agreements ( DBAs) and therefore unenforceable in collective proceedings “is unsustainable”. The four connected appeals arose from the UK Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 ruling, PACCAR, which concluded that many litigation funding agreements ( LFAs) supporting large claims are DBAs and cannot be enforced unless they meet the regulations... Following that judgment, funders and class representatives moved swiftly to renegotiate and reshape their terms. At a hearing in June, the appellants contended that—even with modifications to the funding models—the financial arrangements continued to be DBAs because they included a cap on the sums that could be recovered......

The ruling permits the case to move forward to a hearing on the substantive issues and key questions surrounding allegations of unlawful handling of children’s data, although no date has yet been fixed. The Information Commissioner’s Office ( ICO) is contesting a court’s decision to overturn Tik Tok’s 2023 penalty. Tik Tok contended that, as its platform fosters artistic expression, the use of personal data, including that of under-13 users, fell......

Bhundia v Dhar [2025] EWHC 1227 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? The judgment underscores the standard expected of chairs of creditors’ meetings when assessing proofs of debt. A finding of material irregularity showed the original liquidator’s appointment was defective: Mr Bhundia’s proof was not admitted to vote for the correct amount, and Mr Dhar’s vote was accepted when it should not have been. Accordingly, those presiding as chair (including directors or insolvency practitioners) must verify all claims, since their determinations are vulnerable to the court forming its own conclusion on the balance of probabilities if a challenge is brought. Errors can unravel the outcome of the meeting, requiring a fresh decision procedure. Secondly, the decision clarifies the limited finality of construction adjudication awards in an insolvency setting. The court firmly rejected Mr Dhar’s reliance on res judicata and merger,...

In landmark rulings in distinct copyright actions lodged by bestselling authors against Anthropic PBC and Meta Platforms, California US District Judges William Alsup and Vince Chhabria each concluded, in their respective cases, that the companies’ large language models ( LLMs) are sufficiently transformative to weigh in favour of fair use. Yet the two differed on AI’s capacity to supplant human-made works, reaching opposite views even while both held that Anthropic and Meta fairly used millions of books copied without authorisation to train their respective systems, Claude and Llama. Both firms are alleged to have sourced, at least on some occasions, portions of the millions of books they used from pirating sites. Anthropic must face a trial on those allegations, and the question remains open in Meta’s matter. The court in that case has set a conference for 11 July 2025 to...

High Court told 163,000 UK claimants have opted into PID The Australian mining multinational informed the High Court that 163,000 of approximately 620,000 claimants have chosen to participate in the compensation scheme known as PID. BHP stated that, if compensation is approved, those individuals would be precluded from bringing legal proceedings over the Fundão dam collapse. Shaheed Fatima KC of Blackstone Chambers, acting for BHP, provided the figure during discussions about whether the company should disclose collated documents and information relating to the scheme. She explained that a running count is being maintained and that the latest total is 163,000 UK claimants who have adhered to PID. The disclosure question formed part of a two-day hearing as both parties prepare for a stage two trial in litigation in England......

James Edwards Staley v The Financial Conduct Authority [2025] UKUT 00203 What are the practical implications of this case? This decision underscores the circumstances that can trigger a prohibition order. The FCA may prohibit an individual from performing functions tied to regulated activities where it concludes they lack fitness and propriety. Such orders are protective in nature and not intended as punishment. The FCA will assess the risk to consumers and the market when considering such an order. Among various considerations is the standing and significance of the firm the individual represents, which can be pertinent to whether an order is appropriate. The Tribunal also determined that the FCA’s Decision Procedural and Penalties Manual ( DEPP) should be applied with flexibility when setting a financial penalty. Moreover, the Tribunal’s assessment of any penalty will reflect the situation as at the date the...

What recent changes to family law in the UAE do practitioners need to be aware of? The UAE has unveiled far‑reaching reforms to its family law regime, reshaping the rules for Muslim and non‑ Muslim residents alike. In line with a drive to modernise while honouring cultural and religious values, lawyers must now operate within a dual track: Islamic principles apply to Muslims, while a distinct civil, secular system governs, separately, foreigners and non‑ Muslims. A key development at federal level is Federal Decree‑ Law No. 41 of 2022, which took effect on 1 February 2023 and established a civil personal status framework for non‑ Muslims heard before the Personal Status Court. The statute addresses marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance, seeking greater harmony with international standards. Crucially, it recognises no‑fault divorce, enabling either spouse to end the marriage...

Mergers The Commission has received notifications for: Noenergia Transmissao/ Itabaponana ( M.12079) (simplified merger procedure) Aequita/ Lyondellbasell Industries Holdings ( Parts of European Olefins and Polyolefins Business) ( M.12056) (simplified merger procedure) DIF/ Virya/ Dhyve JV ( M.11829) (simplified merger procedure) HIG Capital/ Rentokil Initial Holdings ( M.12033) (simplified merger procedure) The application has been published in Case T‑320/25 Condor Flugdienst v Commission, challenging the Commission’s decision in Deutsche Lufthansa/ MEF/ ITA ( M.11071) that conditionally approved joint control of ITA Airways by Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance—see further, application. NOTE— For all live merger appeals before the General Court, see further, General Court State aid appeals—ongoing cases tracker. State aid The application has been published in Case C‑348/25 PGI Spain and Others v Commission, appealing the General Court’s judgment in Case T‑596/22 dismissing an...

At the hearing, counsel representing Uber Britannia Ltd argued that local government laws designed to safeguard the public place the duty to discharge a booking on licensed operators—those who accept taxi reservations without themselves providing the ride. Tim Ward KC of Cornerstone Barristers submitted that 'the operator’s terms govern performance of the contract. That remains true even where the operator subcontracts delivery of the booking to another party'. Ward continued that this ensures public protection through 'transparency' about the contracting party, so the customer knows 'who bears legal responsibility' if anything goes awry. ' Once a booking is accepted, the hirer has a contractual remedy against the operator', he said. In July 2023, High Court judge Alison Foster held that operators had to enter contracts with passengers to lawfully operate under the Local Government ( Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 ( LG( MP) A 1976)....

Scrutiny of the art market The recent conviction of art dealer Oghenochuko Ojiri for offences under the Terrorism Act 2000 ( TA 2000) underscores the substantial risks facing art market professionals. Agents, galleries, dealers, and others trading in art operate within a regulatory regime that brings serious penalties for non-compliance, alongside the reputational harm that commonly follows any breach. Ojiri, the founder of Ramp Gallery, now operating as Ojiri Gallery, admitted eight counts under the TA 2000 for failing to make required disclosures while conducting business in a regulated sector. The prosecution concerned his sale of artwork worth about £140,000 to a suspected Hezbollah financier, sanctioned by the United States in 2019 and the United Kingdom in 2023. After entering guilty pleas, he received a sentence of two and a half years’ imprisonment. Although the first case of its kind, it serves as a clear...

What is the Panel proposing? The measures outlined in consultation paper PCP 2025/1 aim to revise the Takeover Code (the Code) in three specific areas, as set out in that paper. Some principal elements of the suggested changes to these areas are summarised below, for reference and clarity within the consultation. Dual class share structures A company operating a dual class share structure ( DCSS) has capital made up of a class of voting ordinary shares alongside a class of shares—i.e., ‘class B’ or ‘special’ shares—carrying superior voting power or control relative to the company’s ordinary shares......

On 2 July 2025, Britain’s highest court granted permission to several companies to appeal in two connected legal matters: Bath Racecourse Co Ltd v Liberty Mutual and Gatwick Investment Ltd v Liberty Mutual. The appeal is set to function as a significant test case on whether insurers may deduct furlough funding provided by government to businesses during the national COVID-19 lockdowns from the value of any successful business interruption claims made under their policies. ‘ The furlough scheme is said to have cost the Treasury in the region of £70bn’, commented James Breese, a partner specialising in policyholder disputes at Stewarts Law LLP. The firm represents the claimants in the dispute......

Iconix Luxembourg Holdings SARL v Dream Pairs Europe Inc and another [2025] UKSC 25 What are the practical implications of this case? When assessing the strength of a trade mark infringement claim, the analysis of similarity between the registered mark and the impugned sign may reflect real‑world and post‑sale circumstances; the task extends beyond a simple side‑by‑side juxtaposition. Similarly, when evaluating whether there is a prospect of confusion between the sign and the trade mark—a condition for infringement under section 10(2)(b) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 ( TMA 1994)—confusion that arises post‑sale is pertinent and need not be anchored to any later purchasing context. Where proof of such post‑sale confusion exists, it can carry considerable evidential weight and should be gathered and put forward. Finally, appeals are not re‑runs—the appellate court does not share the trial judge’s complete evidential record, and there are defined limits on when it...

Antitrust Commission fines Alchem for participating in pharmaceutical cartel The Commission delivered an infringement ruling, levying penalties of €489,000 on Alchem for taking part for over 12 years in a cartel tied to the pharmaceutical ingredient N- Butylbromide Scopolamine/ Hyoscine ( Case AT. 40636)......

The IFS outlined several policy proposals in a report that it said would address the current challenges facing the UK pensions system and help to solve the problems future generations of retirees might face Produced with the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, the study urges an overhaul of the UK state pension alongside steps to lift private pension saving and improve means-tested help for low-paid workers. It also recommends stronger guidance so people can steward their assets through retirement. Paul Johnson, the IFS Director and co-author, noted there is 'much to celebrate' about the pensions landscape, yet cautioned that policymakers risk complacency. He warned: ' Without decisive action, too many of today's working-age population face lower living standards and greater financial insecurity through their retirement'. Over two-and-a-half years, the review identified priorities to safeguard savers’ futures, from rising pressures on public finances as the...

Amazon has contested the rule, which covers orders below €35, petitioning the EU’s top court in April 2025 to overturn it and to have the measure annulled in its entirety. According to the opinion, a national measure designed to foster cultural diversity falls within the EU Services Directive and can be justified only if the classic Article 16 criteria—most notably proportionality—are satisfied and properly evidenced. In short, pursuing cultural diversity does not, by itself, remove a law from the Directive’s scope or exclude it from review. Although, at a Court of Justice of the EU hearing in Luxembourg in April 2025, the French government maintained that the charge is permitted under EU rules that allow limits to defend cultural diversity, the opinion nevertheless insists the measure must still clear the Services Directive’s proportionality and necessity hurdles in a convincing manner. Put...

'statutory consultation' District Court Judge Kate Thomas will tell the Court of Appeal that 'statutory consultation', commonly called secret soundings, whereby serving judges submit unnamed assessments of a candidate's suitability, is defective and sustains an 'old boys' network' within the judiciary. Detractors, among them the Law Society, the Society of Asian Lawyers and the Society of Black Lawyers, say the mechanism continues to undermine attempts to broaden representation on the bench. Nevertheless, the Judicial Appointments Commission has, to date, still kept those confidential references in place for would-be judges. Retired judge Clare Norris, president of the GMB trade union's judicial arm, described Thomas's claim as 'a direct challenge' to a set-up that she alleged lets senior judges skew the appointments system......

Private actions Court of Appeal rejects challenges to the CAT’s judgments on third-party litigation funding supporting collective claims against Apple, Sony, Visa and Mastercard, and dismisses the appeals. In Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd & Anor v Alex Neill, Class Representative, the Court of Appeal delivered its judgment on appeals advanced in four separate competition collective damages proceedings, each contesting the CAT’s approval of revised funding arrangements that were adjusted following the Supreme Court’s decision in PACCAR. Background On 26 July 2023, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in R (on the application of PACCAR Inc and others) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others. That ruling arose from disputes concerning the litigation funding arrangements adopted and put in place by class representatives in competition collective damages claims brought under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998......