UK Smoking Laws Closer to Overhaul
The UK is moving towards one of the most significant public health reforms in decades, following the passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill through Parliament. The legislation introduces a generational ban on the sale of tobacco, alongside broader regulatory powers over vaping and nicotine products. The Bill has now completed its parliamentary stages and […]
Mobile Phones to Banned in Schools in England under New Law
The government has confirmed plans to introduce a legal requirement for schools in England to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day. The measure will be brought forward as an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, as part of a broader policy focus on child wellbeing, behaviour and digital safety. It […]
Changes to Sponsor Guidance & Right to Work Checks
Updates to the Home Office’s official sponsor guidance in March and April 2026 have introduced a more expansive and interconnected approach to compliance across right to work checks, salary assessment and pay reporting. The changes form part of a broader shift in how the Home Office expects sponsors to evidence that individuals are working lawfully […]
Revised 6th Edition TA6 Form Mandatory from 30 March 2026
From 30 March 2026, the Law Society of England and Wales has introduced the TA6 Property Information Form (6th Edition) as the standard form for residential property transactions in England and Wales, with mandatory use required for Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) members on new instructions from that date. The new version follows the withdrawal of […]
TA6 Property Information Form Explained
Buying a property can be both an exciting and stressful time. As part of the conveyancing process, the Property Information Form is used to provide key information about the property to a prospective buyer at an early stage of the transaction, provided this form is completed by the seller promptly and in full. In this […]
Government Signals Major Overhaul of UK Late Payment Laws
The UK Government has confirmed a package of proposed reforms aimed at tackling late payment across business supply chains, following its “Time to pay up” consultation. The measures are intended to address what ministers describe as a systemic issue affecting small businesses, with late payments estimated to cost the UK economy £11 billion each year […]
CMA Orders New Vet Pricing and Consumer Protection Rules
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has concluded its market investigation into veterinary services for household pets, confirming a package of legally binding reforms aimed at improving transparency, strengthening competition and giving pet owners greater control over costs. The changes follow concerns that consumers often struggle to access clear information about veterinary services pricing, ownership […]
AI Copyright: Govt Rethinks Opt-Out model After Industry Backlash
The UK government is reassessing its proposed approach to copyright and artificial intelligence following sustained opposition from the creative sector, parliamentary committees and rights holders. Earlier proposals explored allowing AI developers to use copyrighted material for training unless rights holders actively opted out. That approach has not been taken forward in its original form, with […]
New UK Dog Law: Unlimited Fines for Livestock Attacks
Dog owners in England and Wales face significantly tougher legal consequences under new legislation designed to strengthen protections for livestock, with reforms confirmed to take effect on 18 March 2026. The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent and will update the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, introducing stronger enforcement […]
Hereditary Peers to Lose House of Lords Seats After Reform Bill Passes
Dozens of hereditary peers are set to lose their seats in the House of Lords after Parliament approved legislation ending the centuries-old right to sit and vote in the upper chamber by virtue of inherited titles. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill removes the remaining hereditary peer places that have existed since a compromise […]
Modernising Agency Work Regulations: Govt Consultation Launched
The UK government has launched a consultation on plans to modernise the regulatory framework governing agency work. The review forms part of the wider employment reforms linked to the government’s “Plan to Make Work Pay” agenda and focuses on updating rules that many policymakers believe no longer reflect the realities of the modern temporary labour […]
Lawyers Urge Govt to Rethink Plans to Restrict Jury Trials
Plans to restrict the use of jury trials in England and Wales are facing mounting opposition from the legal profession and within Parliament, as the government prepares to advance legislation aimed at reducing the growing backlog in the criminal courts. More than 3,000 lawyers have written to the Prime Minister urging the government to reconsider […]
Proposed Changes to UK Gender Pay Gap & Menopause Policies
The UK government has published new policy plans aimed at strengthening workplace equality through enhanced gender pay gap reporting and support for employees experiencing menopause. The initiative forms part of the wider programme implementing the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the government’s “Make Work Pay” agenda. The government has announced plans to require large employers […]
UK ILR English Language Level Rising in 2027
The Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 1691, laid on 5 March 2026, introduces a staged increase in the English language requirement for UK Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and other long term, settlement-linked routes. Under the new ILR rules, the English language requirement for affected routes will rise from CEFR level B1 to […]
New Skilled Worker Visa Pay Period Rule Introduced
The UK government has introduced new salary compliance provisions for the Skilled Worker visa route through the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published on 5 March 2026. The amendment inserts paragraph SW 14.3B into Appendix Skilled Worker and takes effect on 8 April 2026. The provision changes how salary compliance may be assessed […]
UK Introduces Visa Brake for 4 Nationalities
The UK government has confirmed new visa restrictions affecting four nationalities as part of wider measures aimed at reducing asylum claims made after entry through legal migration routes. Under the new ‘visa brake‘ policy, from 26 March 2026, the government will stop granting Student visas to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, while Skilled […]
UK Introduces New Asylum Rules
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has issued a Written Ministerial Statement confirming that, from 2 March 2026, the UK will replace the standard five-year grant of refugee leave with a 30-month period of temporary protection for new asylum claims. The change, made through amendments to the Immigration Rules, introduces an earlier review point that fundamentally alters […]
Reform UK Immigration Policy Unveiled
Reform UK used an event in Dover on 23 February to outline a broader set of immigration and internal security proposals, presented by its home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf alongside party leader Nigel Farage. The announcement forms part of a series of policy statements ahead of the next general election, due no later than 2029. […]
UK Plans 48-Hour Deadline for Online Intimate Image Removal
The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that would require online platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of receiving and verifying a valid report. The proposal applies to material shared without consent, including so-called “revenge porn” and AI-generated or digitally altered intimate images depicting an identifiable person. […]
ERA 2025: Industrial Action Reforms from 18 Feb 2026
On 18 February 2026, the first phase of reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 took effect. These initial changes concentrate on industrial action and collective dispute procedure. While the amendments do not remove the statutory framework governing ballots and notice, they recalibrate how that framework operates in practice and how participating employees are protected. […]