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

The Queen’s Speech on 11 May announced a Judicial Review Bill. This followed a consultation on judicial review reform launched by the Government on 18 March 2021 (the “Consultation“) and the publication of the report by the Independent Review for Administrative Law (the “IRAL“) on its review into possible reforms to the judicial review process (the … Read more

The High Court in R (Transport Action Network Ltd) v Secretary of State for Transport [2021] EWHC 568 (Admin) considered the extent to which a party in judicial review proceedings may adduce expert evidence. Key points Expert evidence is seldom required in order to resolve judicial review proceedings. That is because it is not the … Read more