Home

In a recent preliminary hearing judgment, the EAT has given useful guidance on the use of AI by unrepresented parties.

The FCA’s application window for the new UK cryptoasset regime opens on 30 September 2026 and closes on 28 February 2027. Firms intending to carry on regulated cryptoasset activities when the regime commences on 25 October 2027 must now turn regulatory planning into an effective application strategy.Applying for authorisation is not simply an exercise in completing forms and producing policies. Firms need to present a coherent account of their activities, business model, governance, financial resources, and systems and controls, supported by evidence that their arrangements will operate effectively in practice. The FCA is encouraging firms to submit timely, good-quality applications and to apply as soon as possible during the application period.In this article, we summarise the key pillars of the new regulatory framework and identify five steps that can help firms prepare a strong application. The guide is relevant not only to crypto firms applying for authorisation, but also to other participants in the crypto distribution chain and mainstream financial services firms considering entering the market or assessing how the new regime may affect their existing activities and exposures.

From workplace social events and harassment risk to the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the resurgence of interim relief claims, this edition examines some of the most significant developments shaping the employment law landscape. We also share recent BCLP commentary on upcoming legislative reforms, flexible working and the practical challenges facing employers in an increasingly complex operating environment.

The UK's Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate has created strong demand for SAF, but domestic production remains limited and the primary obligation was missed. The Revenue Certainty Mechanism (RCM), now underpinned by the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Act 2026, is intended to de-risk investment in First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) UK SAF production and bring forward Final Investment Decisions. In July 2026, the Department for Transport published its Contract Allocation Strategy for the first RCM allocation round (SAF AR1), confirming a tendered bid process with bilateral negotiations, a target of up to 230,000 metric tonnes of annual SAF capacity supported, and an indicative timeline running from pre-launch engagement in Q4 2026 through to contract award in Q4 2028. This article considers what these confirmed details mean for producers and investors. SAF production in the UK is still taxiing, but it’s off the stand and close to the runway.

Interim relief applications are on the rise at a staggering rate according to the Presidents of the Employment Tribunals for England & Wales, and Scotland, putting pressure on unwary employers.

In Part 1, What Happens If a UK University Fails?, Richard Obank explored why mounting financial pressures mean university failure can no longer be dismissed as a theoretical risk. In Part 2, University Insolvency: Why Existing Restructuring Tools Are Not Enough, he examined the gaps in the current legal framework and considered whether the further education sector offers a potential model for reform. The final instalment considers the case for and against a special administration regime for higher education institutions. It then looks beyond conventional insolvency law to the graduated intervention model used in the NHS and the supplier-of-last-resort mechanism used in the energy sector, before setting out the case for an early-warning framework, regulatory intervention and a credible last-resort process.