Latest edition
Thursday 22 October 2026
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Employment Law · Report
Government plans to make dismissal of pregnant women and new mothers unlawful, with exceptions
The government says it is introducing legislation to make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women and new mothers except in specific circumstances, and is seeking views on the detail from parents, employers and others.
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Employment Law · Change
Employment Rights Act 2025: government updates 2027 start dates
The government updated its Employment Rights Act 2025 timeline on 22 October 2026, setting out expected 2027 start dates, including unfair dismissal changes for dismissals from 1 January 2027, affecting employers and workers.
Wednesday 21 October 2026
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Family Law · Change
Parentage declaration form: one parent, made before an authorised person
The statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage form is for unmarried parents where only one can attend a register office, and it must be made before an authorised person.
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Family Law · Judgment
Court of Appeal: later CMS decisions are variations of one continuing child maintenance calculation
The Court of Appeal held that a Child Maintenance Service calculation is a single calculation that continues until a prescribed event ends it, and that later review, revision, supersession or appeal decisions do not…
Tuesday 20 October 2026
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Family Law · Report
Social Housing Bill amendment: protective order enough for court to consider action
The government announced on 20 October 2026 an amendment to the Social Housing Bill under which a relevant protective order would be sufficient for a court to consider taking action, affecting domestic abuse survivors…
Monday 19 October 2026
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Injury Claims · Report
Private parking code laid with £100 charge cap and new appeal rights for drivers
The government has laid a new Private Parking Code of Practice in Parliament, setting grace periods and capped appeal charges for drivers, and plans to add car clocking to the banned practices list.
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Property & Housing · Judgment
Upper Tribunal: delegating HMO compliance to a non-director does not rule out director’s liability
The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has held that a sole company director's liability under section 251 of the Housing Act 2004 for a company's HMO offence could not be ruled out because compliance was…
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Immigration Law · Change
Home Office updates guidance on asylum seekers’ permission to work
The Home Office updated its guidance on working or volunteering while an asylum case is considered on 19 October 2026; it sets out who may apply for permission to work and how.
Thursday 15 October 2026
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Immigration Law · Judgment
Court of Appeal rules on ILR refusal for man wrongly accused of TOEIC cheating
The Court of Appeal has ruled on the Home Secretary's appeal over an indefinite leave to remain refusal for a man whose English test cheating finding was later overturned, affecting people caught up in…
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Family Law · Report
Domestic abuse safe accommodation: 67,750 people supported in 2025 to 2026
Government figures for England show 67,750 people were supported in domestic abuse safe accommodation in 2025 to 2026, with fewer households turned away for lack of capacity but more with unmet needs.
Wednesday 14 October 2026
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Family Law · Judgment
Family Court rules on cross-allegations of abuse and alienation between parents
The Family Court held a three-day fact-finding hearing on a father's allegations of abuse by a mother and her allegation that he alienated the children, and heard the case on 12 to 14 October…
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Property & Housing · Report
Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill introduced with new duties and penalties
The Bill introduced on 14 October 2026 would put a legal duty on those responsible for buildings, such as freeholders, to fix cladding problems, affecting leaseholders, residents and building owners in England.
Monday 12 October 2026
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Immigration Law · Judgment
Court of Appeal lead judgment finds tribunal error immaterial in deportation appeal
In the lead Court of Appeal judgment, Lady Justice Elisabeth Laing would dismiss a Ghanaian man's appeal against deportation after a sexual offences conviction, finding a tribunal's error about his son immaterial.
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Immigration Law · Report
Government tables amendments to Immigration and Asylum Bill on Article 8 and late claims
The Home Office announced on 12 October 2026 two amendments to the Immigration and Asylum Bill on how family life is assessed under Article 8 and how late claims are treated, affecting people facing…
Friday 9 October 2026
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Family Law · Judgment
Family Court adjourns care fact-finding hearing a third time over missing medical records
The Family Court adjourned a care case fact-finding hearing for the third time after late-disclosed foster care logs and hospital records revealed further medical investigations, and examined Medway Council's information sharing.
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Property & Housing · Report
Government consults on extending Awaab’s Law to private rented homes
The government opened a consultation on 9 October 2026 on applying Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies and to accommodation occupied under licence, affecting tenants, landlords, licensors and agents.
Thursday 8 October 2026
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Immigration Law · Report
Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026: GOV.UK publishes document collection
A GOV.UK collection of documents on the Immigration and Asylum Bill, introduced to Parliament on 30 June 2026, covers plans on appeals, Article 8, modern slavery, protection and asylum support.
Monday 5 October 2026
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Family Law · Report
Courts must now record when an offence involved domestic abuse
From 5 October 2026, criminal courts must formally record when domestic abuse was a factor in an offence, creating a single court record shared across police, prisons and probation.
Thursday 1 October 2026
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Family Law · Judgment
High Court examines Hague return defence based on a parent’s mental health
The High Court (Family Division) considered whether a parent's mental health could amount to a grave risk to a child under Article 13(b) of the 1980 Hague Convention, in an application for a child's…
Wednesday 30 September 2026
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Property & Housing · Change
HMRC manual explains SDLT treatment when a lease is surrendered and regranted
HMRC's Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) Manual sets out when a new lease and the surrender of an existing lease do not count as chargeable consideration for each other, where both involve the same…
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Property & Housing · Report
£16m Legal Support Grant to fund free help with eviction, debt and benefit disputes
The government has announced a £16 million fund, launching on 1 October 2026, to pay frontline organisations in England and Wales to give free legal support to people facing eviction, debt, benefit disputes and…
Tuesday 29 September 2026
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Family Law · Judgment
Family Court makes parental order for child born through surrogacy arrangement in China
In D & Anor v K, the Family Court made a parental order for a child born in China through a surrogacy arrangement that is illegal there, after hearing expert evidence on Chinese law.
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Family Law · Judgment
Court of Appeal sets out how Child Focused Courts must handle domestic abuse
In Re C, the Court of Appeal held that the Child Focused Court model does not dilute Practice Direction 12J, and that fact-finding on domestic abuse is needed only where it bears on the…
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Property & Housing · Report
Government to cap leaseholder permission and administrative fees
The government has announced it will legislate for powers to cap fees landlords charge leaseholders and intends to introduce independent regulation of property agents, affecting leaseholders, tenants and homebuyers.
Monday 28 September 2026
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Banking & Financial Crime · Judgment
Court of Appeal judge backs non-party’s appeal over Bitcoin order under CPR 40.9
In Gary Jones v Persons Unknown, Lord Justice Nugee said he would allow a non-party's appeal under CPR r 40.9 against a Bitcoin recovery order, a point affecting non-parties to court cases.
Friday 25 September 2026
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Property & Housing · Judgment
Upper Tribunal: sole director not liable for HMO penalty merely because of his position
The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has cancelled a financial penalty on a company's sole director, holding that consent under section 251 of the Housing Act 2004 cannot be inferred solely from his position as…
Thursday 24 September 2026
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Family Law · Judgment
High Court considers Hague return to Ukraine where grave risk exception was argued
The High Court's Family Division has handed down a judgment on a father's application to return a young child to Ukraine, where the mother relied on the Article 13(b) grave risk exception.
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Family Law · Report
Legal aid statistics for April to June 2026 show above-average civil representation volumes
The Ministry of Justice has published quarterly legal aid statistics for April to June 2026, with the statistician noting that a backlog means civil representation figures should be compared with last year's only with…
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Family Law · Report
Family Court Statistics Quarterly for April to June 2026 published
The Ministry of Justice has published quarterly statistics on the type and volume of cases received and processed by the family courts of England and Wales in April to June 2026.
Wednesday 23 September 2026
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Family Law · Judgment
Family Court sets out approach to 2008 pre-nuptial agreement challenge at preliminary hearing
A wife challenging a 2008 pre-nuptial agreement in financial remedy proceedings against her husband had her grounds considered at a preliminary hearing, in a judgment given by Mr Justice Peel on 23 September 2026.