In a rare intervention on the question of costs, the Supreme Court has confirmed in CPRE Kent v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2021] UKSC 36 that those bringing claims for judicial review and statutory challenges can face exposure to multiple sets of costs at the permission stage. Key points The court … Read more

We are delighted to be supporting the Public Law Project again in running its annual Judicial Review Trends and Forecasts conference. This year the conference will take place as a week of online seminars on the theme of ‘accountability and the constitution’. The sessions will begin on Monday 18 October, and will include a keynote … Read more

The First-tier Tribunal (“FTT“) has overturned a decision by the Information Commissioner (the “Commissioner“) in finding that Heathrow Airport Ltd (“HAL“) is not a public authority for the purposes of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (the “EIR“), in Heathrow Airport Limited v Information Commissioner, EA/2020/0101. Key Points: A dual test is applied when determining whether an … Read more

On 21 July, the Government introduced the Judicial Review and Courts Bill into Parliament. The Bill was foreshadowed in the Queen’s Speech on 11 May as part of the Government’s aim to ‘restore the balance of power between the executive, legislature and the courts’. The Government’s press release states that the Bill will ‘equip judges with the tools to give … Read more

The High Court has found apparent bias on the part of the Government in respect of its award of a contract under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the “PCR“) for the provision of focus group and communication support services without public notice or competition during the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic (the “Contract“) (R … Read more

Summary The High Court has held that a decision by a professional body to refer a complaint against a member to a disciplinary board was not amenable to judicial review (R (Hannah) v Chartered Institute of Taxation [2021] EWHC 1069 (Admin)). Key points The approach taken by the Courts when ascertaining whether an organisation is … Read more