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News
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Must read
Features
July 16, 2025
Millbrook Healthcare Limited v Devon County Council – Its impact on local government procurement
Oliver Dickie, Christopher Watkins and George McLellan dive into the recent High Court judgment on interim relief in procurement claims.
Jul 09, 2025
Airport Subsidy Challenged in the CAT
Oliver Slater, Beatrice Wood and Steve Gummer dive into the latest Competition Appeal Tribunal subsidy control challenge, brought against the Welsh Government's subsidy to Cardiff Airport.
Jul 03, 2025
IPA guidance 2025: Managing PFI distress and preparing for expiry
Aanya Gujral and David Owens dive into the recent guidance published on managing the risks associated with Private Finance Initiative (“PFI”) projects.
Jul 03, 2025
Automatic suspensions and the public interest
Tim Care provides a summary of the recent case of Unipart Group Ltd v Supply Chain Coordination Ltd [2025], and assesses its impact upon the application of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015).
Jun 25, 2025
Local government reorganisation: the impact on procurement and contracts
Craig Athorn and Stephen Dorrian look at the opportunities and challenges for public procurement and commercial contracts presented by local government reorganisation.
Jun 24, 2025
Modifying subsidies: What is permitted and what is not?
Beatrice Wood and Oliver Slater explore recent developments and discuss the process of awarding subsidies.
Jun 20, 2025
The Procurement Act 2023 and new homes
Lee Pickett, Colin Murray and Shaun Gamble examine how the Procurement Act 2023 assists contracting authorities in delivering new homes.
Features
July 18, 2025
Don’t refuse to mediate! Engage
Peter Causton looks at a recent ruling where a defendant public body was reprimanded for refusing to mediate.
Jul 18, 2025
Smile for the Camera?
Annie Sayers gives an overview of the Family Justice Council’s Guidance on covert recordings.
Jul 18, 2025
ADHD diagnosis and disability
Does an ADHD diagnosis mean an employee is (rather than may be) disabled under the Equality Act 2010? That's the question the Employment Appeal Tribunal had to determine in a recent case, writes Alexandra Addington.
Jul 18, 2025
The coroner's duty to notify the DPP
When is Rule 25(4) of the Coroners (Inquest) Rules 2013 triggered? Lewis Harrison explains.
Jul 18, 2025
Racist comments from one employee to another
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has upheld a tribunal’s decision that a racist comment made by one employee to another did not give rise to employer liability under the Equality Act 2010. Georgia Blesson examines the judgment.
Jul 18, 2025
Court of Protection case update: July 2025
Niamh Brennan and Sarah Hutchinson round up the latest Court of Protection rulings of interest to practitioners.
Jul 17, 2025
Maximising ROI in renewable energy: Legal, technical, and financial strategies for net-zero success
The Hugh James Energy and Renewables team share their expertise on achieving net-zero, and emphasise that it doesn’t have to come at the cost of return on investment (ROI).
Features
July 11, 2025
Risk assessments in care proceedings: L-G and Re T
Adrian Gordon considers two significant 2025 decisions of the Court of Appeal, which revisit some of the most fundamental considerations surrounding the application of s31 of the Children Act 1989 to the facts of every given case.
Jul 09, 2025
Neurodiversity in the Family Justice System Panel Discussion
42BR Barristers is pleased to present this online panel discussion exploring the next steps in advancing and sharing best practice to support the implementation of newly published guidance aimed at improving access to justice for neurodivergent individuals.
Jul 03, 2025
What might the public inquiry on child sexual exploitation look like
With the recent announcement that there will now be a national public inquiry into child sexual exploitation (CSE) Stephanie McGarry and Sarah Erwin-Jones look at what this means for those likely to be become involved and what Baroness Casey had to say in her recently published review into CSE.
Jul 03, 2025
Too much?
In the fourth and final article on a Court of Appeal judgment that involved an exploration of the law and procedure relating to challenges to decisions about care for young people brought after the event, Catherine Rowlands looks at the Court of Appeal view on whether a local authority accidentally accommodated the claimant.
Jun 27, 2025
The attendance of experts in family proceedings
Rosie Muncer looks at the lessons to be learned from how a High Court judge considered a case management application for the single joint experts in care proceedings to attend to give oral evidence.
Jun 27, 2025
Too little? When intervention is not required
In the third article on a recent Court of Appeal judgment that involved a wide-ranging exploration of the law and procedure relating to challenges to decisions about care for young people brought after the event, Catherine Rowlands looks at how the local authority responded.
Jun 18, 2025
The seven questions to address in a welfare analysis
A recent Court of Appeal decision highlights the importance of analysing all the factors in the welfare checklist when considering a care and placement order instead of an overreliance on the ‘risk of harm’ factor, and sets out a 7-step approach to this analysis. Victoria Holland examines the ruling.
Webinars
Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act
Blake Morgan's final Procurement Series Webinar is now available to watch as a pre-recorded session.
SPONSORED
Unlocking legal talent
Jonathan Bourne of Damar Training sets out why in-house council teams and law firms should embrace apprenticeships.
How hair strand testing should be instructed for family court proceedings
For years, FTS, a drug, alcohol and DNA lab in Yorkshire, has been advocating for an end to the use of Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) cut-off levels in the family courts, writes Paul Hackett (Sponsored Editorial)
Webinars
Pathfinder and the Sunflowers
In today’s episode of FortyTwo Talks, Family Law Practitioner, Rachel Chan, is joined by Estella Newbold-Brown, Partner of Amphlett Lissimore to discuss the Private Law 'Pathfinder' and Estella’s new book, Isla and Quinn The Sunflowers.
Webinars
Neurodiversity in the Family Justice System Panel Discussion
42BR Barristers is pleased to present this online panel discussion exploring the next steps in advancing and sharing best practice to support the implementation of newly published guidance aimed at improving access to justice for neurodivergent individuals.
More features
Jun 06, 2025
Navigating automatic suspensions
Richard Binns, Ryan Jenkins and Luke Parry-Billings look at the issue of a “sufficiently serious” breach in an application to lift an automatic suspension in procurement proceedings.
May 21, 2025
Catch me if you can: Local government blazes a trail in increased SME spending
Juli Lau and Natasha Barlow take readers through the report published by the BCC on procurement spending.
May 21, 2025
Changing Course: Navigating Variations Under JCT and NEC Contracts
Tiah Weekes explains the process of changes to contracts in the field of construction.
May 02, 2025
Contracting authorities and pipeline notices
Tim Care evaluates the new Pipeline Notice, introduced by the Procurement Act 2023, and the commercial impact such publications will have on contracting authorities.
Apr 11, 2025
Lifting the automatic suspension: the need for evidence
A recent High Court ruling has emphasised the need for clear evidence in support of arguments both in favour and against lifting the automatic suspension in a procurement dispute, write Ed Williams, Vicky Pace and Nico Tilche.
Apr 04, 2025
Thinking ahead
Philip McCourt and Kirtpal Kaur Aujla comment on the contractual and commercial tasks ahead for local government reorganisation.
Mar 28, 2025
Procurement Act 2023: the new Debarment Regime
William Moody examines the key changes in relation to debarment under the new procurement regime.
Mar 07, 2025
Seeking clarification of tenders
A recent case highlights the importance of clear tender rules and when to seek clarification of tenders, writes Steven Brunning.
Mar 03, 2025
Amending JCT Design & Build Contract – lessons learnt from recent case law.
Ewan Anthony and David Owens provide a round up of the recent case law in the world of construction contracts.
Feb 21, 2025
Impending Procurement Act: What you need to know
The Procurement Act 2023 will come into force next week. Liz Fletcher sets out some key actions for contracting authorities and suppliers.
More features
Jun 27, 2025
Too little? When intervention is not required
In the third article on a recent Court of Appeal judgment that involved a wide-ranging exploration of the law and procedure relating to challenges to decisions about care for young people brought after the event, Catherine Rowlands looks at how the local authority responded.
Jun 18, 2025
The seven questions to address in a welfare analysis
A recent Court of Appeal decision highlights the importance of analysing all the factors in the welfare checklist when considering a care and placement order instead of an overreliance on the ‘risk of harm’ factor, and sets out a 7-step approach to this analysis. Victoria Holland examines the ruling.
Jun 18, 2025
Too late
In the second article of a series on challenges to decisions about care for young people brought after the event, Catherine Rowlands looks at how the Court of Appeal dealt with the issue of whether a claim was brought out of time.
Jun 18, 2025
Expert fees in public law children cases
When the expert exceeds Legal Aid Agency rates, what is the Court to do? Eleanor Hull analyses an important recent ruling from the President of the Family Division.
Jun 18, 2025
The 26-week timeframe and care proceedings with an international element
Gary Fawcett examines a recent Court of Appeal ruling on the 26-week statutory time limit in care proceedings with an international element.
Jun 18, 2025
Too little? Or too late?
In the first in a series of articles, Catherine Rowlands examines a Court of Appeal judgment that involved a wide-ranging exploration of the law and procedure relating to challenges to decisions about care for young people brought after the event.
Jun 13, 2025
Re A compliance in care proceedings
Emily Henshaw looks at what Re A compliance means and why it matters.
Jun 06, 2025
Fact-finding hearings and allegations of rape
Although a private law children case, there are various points in a recent judgment from Mr Justice Hayden that are relevant to local authorities involved in public law children proceedings, write Joanna Thom and Harrison Engler.
May 30, 2025
The Court of Appeal on revocation of adoption orders
Catherine Ellis considers the implications of the ruling in Re X&Y on the High Court’s ability to revoke adoption orders.
May 21, 2025
Care orders and consent to the deprivation of liberty of children
Joanne Clement KC and Samuel Willis analyse an important Court of Appeal case on Article 5 and the deprivation of liberty of children.
More Features
July 17, 2025
Personal circumstances, public safety, and the planning balance
Arevik Jackson provides some reflections on recent co-joined enforcement appeals and the grant of temporary planning permissions.
Jul 17, 2025
The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets (Wales) Bill: the key provisions
Hannah Shaw analyses draft legislation in Wales aimed at establishing a robust framework for environmental governance in Wales.
Jul 17, 2025
Errors of law, materiality and remedies
A recent Court of Appeal case concerning “restocking notices” in forestry has wider lessons in relation to errors of law and remedies, write Heather Sargent and Charles Bishop.
Jul 17, 2025
What next for rent reviews?
Government plans to ban upwards only rent reviews have caught everyone by surprise, writes David Harris.
Jul 16, 2025
Commonhold reform – the beginning of the end?
Tanya Edmonds of Ashfords answers a number of questions raised by the government's white paper on a reformed commonhold model.
Jul 16, 2025
The CAT’s approach to Subsidy Decision Reviews: Fast, cheap and simple?
Olivia Dawson and Oliver Slater consider the Subsidy Control Act’s subsidy challenge regime, the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s (the “CAT’s”) approach to case management and costs, and what the future for challenges to subsidy decisions might look like.
Jul 16, 2025
Millbrook Healthcare Limited v Devon County Council – Its impact on local government procurement
Oliver Dickie, Christopher Watkins and George McLellan dive into the recent High Court judgment on interim relief in procurement claims.
July 11, 2025
Early insights into the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
David Kitson offers some initial thoughts on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
Jul 11, 2025
The section 58 defence in the Highways Act 1980
The Court of Appeal recently allowed a claimant’s appeal against a judge’s decision to reject his claim for liability against a county council in relation to a hole in a grass verge which caused him to fall off his bicycle. Martin Porter KC and Anastasia Karseras explain why.
Jul 11, 2025
Risk assessments in care proceedings: L-G and Re T
Adrian Gordon considers two significant 2025 decisions of the Court of Appeal, which revisit some of the most fundamental considerations surrounding the application of s31 of the Children Act 1989 to the facts of every given case.
Jul 11, 2025
Turbulence ahead
The £205.2m Cardiff Airport public funding package is to be challenged under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Jonathan Branton and Alexander Rose consider the case and whether we are now likely to see more legal challenges emerge within the airport and aviation sector, which has been the subject of frequent cases in EU State aid law.
Jul 11, 2025
PFI – a new era?
Melanie Pears explores the recent announcement by NHS England about the possibility of a private finance model for capital developments, alongside the Treasury's calls for it to be only used in very limited circumstances.
Jul 11, 2025
Costs in discrimination claims brought by litigants in person
The EAT has overturned a £20,000 costs order due to the tribunal's flawed assumptions about legal advice and hindsight bias in assessing prospects of success. Michael Halsey looks at the lessons from the ruling.
Jul 10, 2025
The Building Safety Act and retrospective service charge protection
Mark Loveday and Hugh Rowan examine Court of Appeal rulings on retrospective service charge protection under Schedule 8 of the Building Safety Act 2022.
Jul 10, 2025
Right to Buy (RTB) leases — be warned about service charges
Andrius Roos outlines five important takeaways from a recent case on the grant of Right to Buy leases and the ability to recover service charges.
Jul 10, 2025
Awaab’s Law – implementation of Phase 1
Matthew Lake, Sian Evans and Clare Jones consider the Government’s recent announcements on phase 1 of Awaab’s Law.
Jul 09, 2025
Seven key insights: Lord Justice Birss considers AI in civil justice
Matthew Lee sets out what expert witnesses and housing lawyers must know from the views on AI expressed by the senior judge who is to become Chancellor of the High Court later this year.
Jul 09, 2025
Imperative requirements in homelessness: nuts and bolts on a bumpy roadmap to suitable accommodation
Lindsay Johnson analyses an important Court of Appeal ruling on whether a local housing authority is precluded from determining the suitability of offered accommodation if it has not prepared a lawful section 189A (1) assessment, and the further documentation required by that section.
Jul 09, 2025
Neurodiversity in the Family Justice System Panel Discussion
42BR Barristers is pleased to present this online panel discussion exploring the next steps in advancing and sharing best practice to support the implementation of newly published guidance aimed at improving access to justice for neurodivergent individuals.
Jul 09, 2025
Employment Law Webinar Series - May to July - 42 Bedford Row
Following on from the first four webinars in our Employment Law Webinar Series 2025, 42BR's Employment Team is delighted to present the next three sessions of our 2025 webinars, covering a variety of employment law topics.
Jul 09, 2025
Home Truths - Dissecting Section 16J: Criminal Confusion in the Renters’ Rights Bill - 42 Bedford Row
Landlords, brace yourselves! Section 16J of the Renters’ Rights Bill could land you in criminal trouble for relying on shaky eviction grounds—but its sloppy drafting leaves huge questions unanswered.
Jul 09, 2025
Home Truths: Grounds for Possession under the Renters' Rights Bill - 42 Bedford Row
In this episode of Home Truths, Alex Adamou and Max Gordon discuss some of the interesting grounds for possession proposed under the Renters' Rights Bill and debate if the Bill will bring the change that commentators are expecting.
Jul 09, 2025
Airport Subsidy Challenged in the CAT
Oliver Slater, Beatrice Wood and Steve Gummer dive into the latest Competition Appeal Tribunal subsidy control challenge, brought against the Welsh Government's subsidy to Cardiff Airport.
Jul 03, 2025
IPA guidance 2025: Managing PFI distress and preparing for expiry
Aanya Gujral and David Owens dive into the recent guidance published on managing the risks associated with Private Finance Initiative (“PFI”) projects.
Jul 03, 2025
What might the public inquiry on child sexual exploitation look like
With the recent announcement that there will now be a national public inquiry into child sexual exploitation (CSE) Stephanie McGarry and Sarah Erwin-Jones look at what this means for those likely to be become involved and what Baroness Casey had to say in her recently published review into CSE.
Jul 03, 2025
Data (Use and Access) Act – Updating Data Protection Law and more
On the 19th June 2025, the Data Use and Access Bill (“DUA Bill”) received Royal Assent to become the Data Use and Access Act 2025 (“DUA Act”).
Jul 03, 2025
High Court Dismisses Challenge to New Super Prison
The High Court has refused permission to challenge the Secretary of State's decision to grant planning permission for so called 'super prison' on Green Belt land near HMP Garth and HMP Wymott in Lancashire.
Jul 03, 2025
AI, copyright and LLMs
What are the copyright and confidentiality issues arising from use of public and private Large Language Models (LLMs)? Justin Harrington explains.
Jul 03, 2025
Automatic suspensions and the public interest
Tim Care provides a summary of the recent case of Unipart Group Ltd v Supply Chain Coordination Ltd [2025], and assesses its impact upon the application of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015).
Jul 03, 2025
FOI and communication
The Upper Tribunal recently considered the meaning of ‘reasonably practicable’ in s11 of the Freedom of Information Act. Jonathan Dixey analyses the ruling.
Jul 03, 2025
Too much?
In the fourth and final article on a Court of Appeal judgment that involved an exploration of the law and procedure relating to challenges to decisions about care for young people brought after the event, Catherine Rowlands looks at the Court of Appeal view on whether a local authority accidentally accommodated the claimant.
Jul 01, 2025
Deploying ‘ADR’ in Planning & Compensation contexts
John Pugh-Smith looks at how these aspects of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) can now be made to work and at different stages of a dispute. Put another way, the “A” in ADR is not just “alternative” but also “adaptable”, “agile” and “accessible”.
Jun 27, 2025
Removal from the village green register
The High Court recently ordered the deletion of school playing fields from the village green register. Ashley Bowes explains why.
Jun 27, 2025
The attendance of experts in family proceedings
Rosie Muncer looks at the lessons to be learned from how a High Court judge considered a case management application for the single joint experts in care proceedings to attend to give oral evidence.
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Events
Events
A-Z Family Law: Take Two! - 42 Bedford Row 
Executive Programme in Public Procurement Law and Policy - University of Nottingham 
Business and Property Masterclass #5: Interim Relief – Acting urgently and getting it right - Cornerstone Barristers
10-09-2025 11:00 am
Online (live)
Property Law Roadshow 2025 - Bristol - St John's Chambers 
CUBAS Comprehensive Training & Licencing (Manchester), September 2025
Business and Property Masterclass #6: Rights of Light and Restrictive Covenants - Cornerstone Barristers
23-09-2025
Online (live)
AI in the Public Sector Conference - Westminster Insight 
Activism in the Workplace - 42BR Barristers Employment Law Annual Lecture 
DoLS Authoriser Training - LPS Law 
Property Law Roadshow 2025 - Cardiff - St John's Chambers 
Institutional landlord series: Possession – High Court Enforcement - 5 Pump Court
22-10-2025 4:00 pm
Online (live)
Institutional landlord series: Costs Recovery and Legally Aided Parties - 5 Pump Court
05-11-2025 4:00 pm
Online (live)
Annual Fraud Conference 2025 - Oxford Investigation Service 
HMPL Building Blocks: Tenancy Management – Assignment, Mutual Exchange and Succession - Devonshires
12-03-2026
Online (live)
Unpicking the Procurement Act Episode 2: Exclusion and Debarment - 39 Essex Chambers
On Demand
Online (pre-recorded)
Ivy Legal - Certificate in Planning Enforcement
Unpicking the Procurement Act Episode 1: Overview and New Procedures - 39 Essex Chambers
On Demand
Online (pre-recorded)
Unpicking the Procurement Act Episode 3: Contract Modification - 39 Essex Chambers
On Demand
Online (pre-recorded)
Unpicking the Procurement Act Episode 4: Challenges and Remedies - 39 Essex Chambers
On Demand
Online (pre-recorded)
Directory