BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted May 20th, 2026 in law reports by michael

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

L (A Child: Placement and Contact Orders), Re [2026] EWCA Civ 639 (20 May 2026)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Taborda & Anor v Rex [2026] EWCA Crim 627 (20 May 2026)

High Court (Administrative Court)

BNF v Newport City Council [2026] EWHC 1212 (Admin) (20 May 2026)

Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care v General Medical Council & Anor [2026] EWHC 1138 (Admin) (19 May 2026)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Grimes (t/a The Cleveland Arms) & Ors v Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE [2026] EWHC 1195 (Comm) (20 May 2026)

Kanametova v OSG Records Management (Europe) Ltd [2026] EWHC 1196 (Comm) (20 May 2026)

High Court (Family Division)

BN (A Child)(Abduction: Art 13(b)), Re [2026] EWHC 1158 (Fam) (14 May 2026)

HF, KF and LF (No 2)(Children; Inherent Jurisdiction; Return Order), Re [2026] EWHC 1035 (Fam) (01 May 2026)

DE (A Child: Inward Return Order From India), Re [2026] EWHC 1099 (Fam) (29 April 2026)

A (A Child), Re (Habitual Residence) [2026] EWHC 1140 (Fam) (28 April 2026)

TP v OP & Anor [2026] EWHC 1179 (Fam) (15 April 2026)

High Court (King’s Bench Division)

Marinakis v Karypidou & Ors [2026] EWHC 1192 (KB) (20 May 2026)

Source: www.bailii.org

Landmark ruling says employers can be sued for denying agoraphobic staff the chance to work from home – The Independent

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘Employers can be sued for discrimination if they deny employees with agoraphobia the option to work from home, a tribunal has ruled.’

Full Story

The Independent, 20th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bideford Revisited – Prayers at Council Meetings 2026 – Law & Religion UK

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘The opinions of Local Authorities to “Council Prayers” have changed since events at Bideford, and last year the NSS observed that Reform councillorsimposed prayers on Derbyshire County Council after the party had taken control of the Council. More recently in Kent County Council (KCC), on 12 May 2026 Local Government Lawyer reported that the County Council’s monitoring officer had warned she may have to issue a section 5 report after members voted to debate a constitutional amendment that would see the Lord’s Prayer livestreamed during full council meetings.’

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Law & Religion UK, 20th May 2026

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Sale of church treasures: Re St Peter, Little Budworth – Law & Religion UK

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘In a guest post, Shiranikha Herbert looks at the faculty jurisdiction and the disposal of “church treasures”, with particular reference to a recent consistory case.’

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Law & Religion UK, 19th May 2026

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Dane Luo: Andy Burnham and the Constitution – The Conventions on the Appointment of the Prime Minister – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘Drawing on examples from nations with a Westminster system of government, I argue that historical practice shows that, as a matter of constitutional convention, a person can be appointed as Prime Minister when they are not a MP, as long as they will imminently become one. (I will describe this period as the ‘interim period’ but this should not be equated with holding office on a caretaker basis where conventions impose limits on the exercise of powers.)’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 20th May 2026

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

High Court issues key judgment on failure to serve parties on time – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘An appeal by Arun District Council against a planning inspector’s decision cannot proceed because the council failed to serve two defendants in time, the High Court has ruled, even though it did correctly serve the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th May 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court Judge raises concerns over litigants in person, AI-generated arguments and “substantial and increasing” workload of public law cases – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘In dismissing the claim (BEA, R (on the application of) v Staffordshire County Council Neutral Citation Number[2026] EWHC 1190 (Admin)) brought over the local authority’s placement of the claimant’s son with his paternal aunt, Kimblin J made a number of additional comments about AI-generated arguments, Litigants in Person and the rise in JR volumes.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th May 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Referrals to police watchdog hit record high across England and Wales – The Independent

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘Data released on Wednesday [20 May] by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) shows 7,088 referrals were made in 2025-2026, marking the highest annual total since the body was established.’

Full Story

The Independent, 20th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Professor hit with £180,000 court bill after feud with ‘gloating’ neighbour over London flat – The Independent

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘A university professor is facing a £180,000 court bill after his legal challenge against a neighbour, whom he accused of rendering his £680,000 London apartment “unsellable”, ended in defeat.’

Full Story

The Independent, 20th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rachel Reeves to protect ‘critical’ clean energy projects from legal challenges – The Guardian

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘Rachel Reeves is ​preparing to announce a planning shake-up ‌that would fast-track clean energy ​and infrastructure projects by curbing judicial reviews, the ​Treasury said.’

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The Guardian, 20th May 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

Nurse to be struck off after saying Jewish patients were ‘tight with money’ – The Independent

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘A nurse is expected to be struck off after she was found to have made “very serious” remarks about Jewish patients being tight with money.’

Full Story

The Independent, 19th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Adverts for DNA self-swab kits banned as misleading – BBC News

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that Enough’s website, LinkedIn post and GoFundMe page made unproven claims about how evidence from their kits could be used in court and how many women were raped in the UK each year.’

Full Story

BBC News, 20th May 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Benefit cheat caught running 10k races and doing Zumba classes – after claiming she could not walk – The Independent

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘A woman who claimed that she struggled to leave the house or walk was exposed as a benefit cheat after being caught on CCTV taking part in Zumba and body pump classes at the gym.’

Full Story

The Independent, 19th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Wrongly jailed Andrew Malkinson slams ‘penny-pinching’ state as forced to cover own legal fees – The Independent

Posted May 20th, 2026 in news by michael

‘Andrew Malkinson has sharply criticised the decision to deduct up to £10,000 in legal costs from his compensation, following 17 years spent wrongly imprisoned for a rape he did not commit.’

Full Story

The Independent, 19th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted May 19th, 2026 in law reports by michael

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

AA, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Waltham Forest [2026] EWCA Civ 626 (19 May 2026)

Acer Incorporated & Anor v Nokia Technologies OY [2026] EWCA Civ 604 (18 May 2026)

Kanabar v Kanabar [2026] EWCA Civ 582 (15 May 2026)

Caterpillar Property Ltd & Anor v Park Cakes Ltd [2026] EWCA Civ 575 (13 May 2026)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Summerson & Anor [2026] EWCA Crim 625 (19 May 2026)

OFM, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 599 (15 May 2026)

Toon, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 622 (06 May 2026)

Agwo, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 614 (30 April 2026)

Sallis, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 600 (30 April 2026)

Serjanaj, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 601 (30 April 2026)

Brown, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 596 (29 April 2026)

Hedges, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 607 (29 April 2026)

Henry-Godwin, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 584 (28 April 2026)

Byrd, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 586 (24 April 2026)

Ali, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 593 (24 April 2026)

Oluwasina, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 594 (24 April 2026)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Bea, R (On the Application Of) v Staffordshire County Council (Rev1) [2026] EWHC 1190 (Admin) (18 May 2026)

Ismailov (No 2) V Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2026] EWHC 1188 (Admin) (18 May 2026)

Przybys, R (On the Application Of) v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police [2026] EWHC 1159 (Admin) (15 May 2026)

Mudford Parish Council v Somerset Council (Rev1) [2026] EWHC 1166 (Admin) (15 May 2026)

Mew v General Dental Council [2026] EWHC 1116 (Admin) (15 May 2026)

Arun District Council v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government & Ors [2026] EWHC 1172 (Admin) (15 May 2026)

Lowe, R (On the Application Of) v Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme [2026] EWHC 1163 (Admin) (14 May 2026)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Jennings & Anor v Appleby [2026] EWHC 1161 (Ch) (19 May 2026)

Siem & Ors v Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP [2026] EWHC 1168 (Ch) (18 May 2026)

The Secretary of State for Business And Trade v Stan [2026] EWHC 1164 (Ch) (18 May 2026)

Merck KGaA v Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC & Ors [2026] EWHC 1113 (Ch) (15 May 2026)

Henderson & Jones Ltd v Chambers & Anor (Re Priors Group Ltd) [2026] EWHC 1152 (Ch) (14 May 2026)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Asghar v Patel [2026] EWHC 396 (Comm) (15 May 2026)

Spec 1 Ltd & Ors v The Export-Import Bank of China [2026] EWHC 1162 (Comm) (15 May 2026)

High Court (King’s Bench Division)

Diageo DV Ltd v Nio SRL [2026] EWHC 1198 (Comm) (19 May 2026)

Timokhin v Timokhina [2026] EWHC 1194 (KB) (19 May 2026)

Lodhia v Twelve Trees Management Company (Bromley-By-Bow) Ltd & Ors [2026] EWHC 1177 (KB) (18 May 2026)

Dacorum Borough Council v Persons Unknown [2026] EWHC 1174 (KB) (18 May 2026)

Mannings Organisation Ltd & Anor v Manning [2026] EWHC 1160 (KB) (14 May 2026)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Kyte v MclAren Automotive Ltd & Anor [2026] EWHC 1126 (TCC) (19 May 2026)

Source: www.bailii.org

Preparing for the Crime and Policing Act 2026: Expanding Corporate Criminal Liability and the Growing Exposure for UK Businesses – Garden Court Chambers

Posted May 19th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Mark Robinson of the Garden Court Crime Team explores what the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will mean for UK businesses.’

Full Story

Garden Court Chambers, 11th May 2026

Source: gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Toogood v HM Senior Coroner for Somerset: Suicide, Speculation, and the Limits of Judicial Review – Exchange Chambers

Posted May 19th, 2026 in news by sally

‘In Toogood v HM Senior Coroner for Somerset [2026] EWHC 634 (Admin), the High Court (Sweeting J) dismissed a challenge to a Coroner’s conclusion of suicide, providing a clear and practical restatement of three recurring themes in inquest law:

The post-Maughan approach to suicide determinations;
The limited role of alternative hypotheses; and
The high threshold for judicial review of evaluative findings.’

Full Story

Exchange Chambers, 11th May 2026

Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk

Attersley v UK Insurance Limited [2026] EWCA Civ 217: fixed costs and Part 36 – Gatehouse Chambers

Posted May 19th, 2026 in news by sally

‘The Claimant was involved in a road traffic accident on 9 March 2018. On 19 March 2018, the Claimant’s solicitors submitted a CNF under the Pre-action Protocol for Low Value Personal Injury Claims in Road Traffic Accidents (“the RTA Protocol”), which stated the value of the claim was up to £10,000. On 9 April 2018, the claim exited the RTA Protocol. The Defendant later admitted liability.’

Full Story

Gatehouse Chambers, 13th May 2026

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

Man jailed for ‘frenzied and cowardly’ model murder – BBC News

Posted May 19th, 2026 in news by sally

‘A “remorseless killer” who carried out a “frenzied and cowardly” attack on a model before trying to “paint himself as the Good Samaritan” who had come across an injured man lying in the street has been jailed for murder.’

Full Story

BBC News, 18th May 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Immigration Blog: Home Office immigration raids & challenging procedural unfairness – Garden Court Chambers

Posted May 19th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Mark Symes explores whether current Home Office immigration raids and rapid enforcement action meet principles of procedural fairness, and offers insight into the difficulties of mounting judicial review challenges.’

Full Story

Garden Court Chambers, 5th May 2026

Source: gardencourtchambers.co.uk