Future of the Undercover Policing Inquiry – Home Office
‘This consultation seeks views on the future structure, scope and format of the Undercover Policing Inquiry.’
home Office, 16th July 2026
Source: www.gov.uk
Local investment and fiduciary duty: where the new line is drawn – Pensions Barrister
‘In the second of two articles on the recent LGPS governance guidance, Paul Newman KC looks at one of its more controversial aspects: the use of LGPS assets to pursue local investment objectives.’
Pensions Barrister, 16th July 2026
Source: www.pensionsbarrister.com
UK social media restrictions for under-18s confirmed – OUT-LAW.com
‘Social media companies will be required to apply default settings for teenagers aged 16 or 17 in the UK that place “overnight curfews” on use of their apps and prevent infinite scrolling, under new regulations the government has confirmed will be introduced next year.’
OUT-LAW.com, 15th July 2026
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
CAT can decide copyright issues in competition claims, court confirms – OUT-LAW.com
‘A recent ruling by the Court of Appeal clarifies that the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) can make decisions on copyright and jurisdiction issues in competition claims in certain instances.’
OUT-LAW.com, 15th July 2026
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
Positive obligation under the ECHR to investigate religiously-motivated violence: Barsuk and Gyl – Law & Religion UK
‘In Barsuk and Gyl v Ukraine [2026] ECHR 145, the applicants, two female Jehovah’s Witnesses, had been attacked and beaten up by one S when they were preaching door-to-door and distributing religious literature in 2017. S was subsequently arrested and charged with “infliction of minor injuries which caused short-term damage to health” and “infliction of injuries of medium severity” under the Criminal Code.’
Law & Religion UK, 16th July 2026
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
SRA drops appeal in Carter-Ruck partner ‘SLAPP’ case – Law Society Gazette
‘The regulator has abandoned its appeal over the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s dismissal of a ‘SLAPP’ case against a partner at a renowned defamation firm.’
Law Society Gazette, 16th July 2026
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Juries can cope with complex trials, says fraud review – Law Society Gazette
‘Retaining jury trials for fraud cases and allowing the Serious Fraud Office to pay whistleblowers are among recommendations put forward by Jonathan Fisher KC in his independent review of disclosure and fraud offences.’
Law Society Gazette, 15th July 2026
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
MoJ finally unveils £34m funding plan for criminal bar – Law Society Gazette
‘More than seven months after announcing £34m to bolster the barrister workforce within the criminal legal aid sector, the government has finally announced how it plans to carve up the cash.’
Law Society Gazette, 15th July 2026
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Bartok v Brunner [2026] EWFC 146 – Financial Remedies Journal
‘McKendrick J. A hearing dealing with two distinct matters: a contested divorce application, and disputed applications for financial remedies, including forum conveniens issues, and successful applications for a Hadkinson order and Hemain injunction.’
Financial Remedies Journal, 14th July 2026
Source: financialremediesjournal.com
McGregor v Smith (Domicile/Misuse of Divorce Portal) [2026] EWFC 128 (B) – Financial Remedies Journal
‘Judgment of HHJ Farquhar on the jurisdiction of the courts in domicile disputes, dealing further with applications making fraudulent use of the divorce portal.’
Financial Remedies Journal, 14th July 2026
Source: financialremediesjournal.com
Britain accused of ‘serious human rights violations’ over failure to end indefinite jail terms – The Independent
‘Three United Nations special rapporteurs have demanded that Britain urgently resentences almost 2,400 people still serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) jail terms.’
The Independent, 16th July 2026
Source: www.independent.co.uk
David Lammy’s proposed cohabitation law would be bad for couples – and worse for some women – The Guardian
‘Under Lammy’s proposal, couples who have lived together for three years, or who have a child together, would automatically acquire marriage-like legal obligations they never agreed to, meaning either partner could ask a court to make financial orders if the relationship ends.’
The Guardian, 14th July 2026
Source: www.theguardian.com
Dale Vince to get damages from Daily Mail publisher over misleading article – The Guardian
‘The green energy entrepreneur and Labour donor Dale Vince is in line to receive damages from the publisher of the Daily Mail after claiming it used his picture to mislead millions of readers.’
The Guardian, 15th July 2026
Source: www.theguardian.com
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Supreme Court
R v McCafferty & Ors [2026] UKSC 20 (14 July 2026)
Saxon Woods Investments Ltd & Ors v Costa [2026] UKSC 21 (14 July 2026)
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
Dabo v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 907 (15 July 2026)
Vince v Associated Newspapers Ltd [2026] EWCA Civ 899 (15 July 2026)
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
McCleary & Anor, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 903 (15 July 2026)
Foley, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 881 (24 June 2026)
Evans, R. v [2026] EWCA Crim 885 (23 June 2026)
High Court (Administrative Court)
Ryan v Crown Court at Isleworth [2026] EWHC 1781 (Admin) (14 July 2026)
High Court (Chancery Division)
IBP Markets Ltd, In the Matter Of [2026] EWHC 1790 (Ch) (15 July 2026)
High Court (Commercial Court)
Hoffman & Anor v Finalto Group Ltd & Anor [2026] EWHC 1702 (Comm) (06 July 2026)
High Court (Family Division)
Potanina v Potanin (No. 3)(Video Evidence from Abroad) [2026] EWHC 1738 (Fam) (14 July 2026)
Source: www.bailii.org
Does Sustainability Tell Courts How to Decide? – City Law Forum
‘Sustainability is everywhere now. It turns up in all-staff emails and new module titles, in strategy documents and calls for papers, and mostly we let it pass without asking what it commits us to. The familiar objection is that the concept is anthropocentric, that it manages nature for human benefit rather than valuing it in its own right. That objection is real, but it is also well worn, and a narrower question seems to me more revealing. When a statute or a treaty commits us to sustainable development and a dispute reaches court, does the concept help the judge decide the case? The suggestion here is that it does very little, because sustainability lacks what might be called an adjudicative architecture: the machinery a claim needs before a court can act on it, an account of who may sue, of what counts as harm, and of what a court may order. Constitutional rights supply that machinery, and the rights of nature increasingly do too. Sustainability does not.’
City Law Forum, 15th July 2026
Source: blogs.city.ac.uk
Teen catfish victim wins £10k court payout after identity stolen by girl in her town – The Independent
‘A teenage student subjected to a four-year “catfishing” nightmare after her identity was stolen by another teenage girl in her town has won a £10,000 High Court damages payout.’
The Independent, 15th July 2026
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Commercial Court clarifies test for restricting document access under transparency pilot – OUT-LAW.com
‘The Commercial Court of England and Wales has given guidance on what factors courts should consider when deciding whether to make a filing modification order (FMO) under a new document access pilot.’
OUT-LAW.com, 14th July 2026
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
