The National Security Bill, currently before the House of Lords on a shortened timetable, raises significant challenges for a wide range of businesses and others with international dimensions or interests, including charities, NGOs, institutions and other friendly international bodies. In essence, the Bill requires all foreign organisations, including companies, LLPs and unincorporated associations, whether businesses, … Read more

On 22 June, the Government laid its new Bill of Rights Bill before Parliament. The Bill has been anticipated since the Government invited responses to a consultation on the replacement of the Human Rights Act 1998 (“HRA“) earlier this year. A summary of the proposals can be found here and an exposition of our views on the … Read more

In R (on the application of British Gas Trading Ltd) v Gas & Electricity Markets Authority and others [2019] EWHC 3048 (Admin), British Gas (the “Claimant“) successfully challenged the level of the price cap set by Ofgem (the “Defendant“) on certain tariffs for the retail supply of domestic energy, on the basis that the Defendant had based its … Read more

The High Court has laid down an important ruling on the issue of whether a public authority may enter into a contract with its preferred bidder pursuant to a competitive tendering procedure, even though its award decision is the subject of a pending legal challenge alleging breaches of procurement law. The launch of such a … Read more

In R (on the application of (1) Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (“PSNC“) (2) Susan Sharpe) v Secretary of State for Health (the “SoS“) and National Pharmacy Association (“NPA“): NPA v SoS [2018] EWCA Civ 1925, the Court of Appeal dismissed the challenges to an earlier decision of the Administrative Court, which rejected the claim that a package of … Read more

R (on the application of Mott) v Environment Agency [2018] UKSC 10 Key Points There is not a clear-cut, or crucial, distinction between expropriation and control of use when it comes to a breach of the right to peaceful enjoyment of possessions under Article 1 of the First Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights … Read more

In EE Ltd v Office of Communications [2017] EWCA Civ 1873, the Court of Appeal quashed Ofcom’s decision to increase licence fees, and found that the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (the “Secretary of State“) could not issue directions that would have the effect of relieving Ofcom of its statutory duties and objectives under … Read more

In Glencore Energy UK Limited v Revenue & Customs Commissioners [2017] EWCA Civ 1716, the Court of Appeal has emphasised that it is only in the most exceptional circumstances that the Courts will intervene by way of judicial review when there is a statutory appeal process available. Key Points The Court reiterated the basic principle that judicial review … Read more