The Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 enact changes to the existing 2025 amendment regulations concerning disciplinary, performance, and appeals procedures for Ministry of Defence Police officers.

The primary action taken by these Regulations is the revocation of Parts 2, 3, and 4 of the 2025 Regulations, along with specific regulations dealing with tribunal processes and transitional arrangements, effectively removing most of the amendments previously introduced by the 2025 Regulations, except for one definition and a specific amendment related to Scottish tribunal legislation.

These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under powers granted by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, enact the ninth commencement order for that Act, bringing specified provisions into force across England and Wales on 31st December 2025.

These provisions include amendments allowing the Secretary of State, Lord Chancellor, and Attorney General to mandate scrutiny of victims' treatment within joint inspections conducted by various inspectorates, alongside new mechanisms requiring the Parole Board to refer certain release decisions for life and fixed-term prisoners to the High Court for final determination, with consequential provisions assigning the Secretary of State responsibility for setting and varying associated licence conditions.

These 2025 Regulations amend the existing Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) Regulations 2020 to align the disciplinary and performance procedures for Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) officers and former officers with recent changes made to the equivalent procedures for territorial police forces in England and Wales.

Key amendments include clarifying that convictions for indictable-only offences constitute gross misconduct, mandating disciplinary action for misconduct findings, updating rules for serving notices electronically, simplifying the performance review system by removing the third stage, and introducing new procedural requirements for former officers regarding accelerated misconduct hearings.

The Public Record Office (Fees) Regulations 2025 set out the new fees chargeable by the Keeper of Public Records for providing authenticated copies, extracts, and other services related to records held at The National Archives, effective from February 2nd, 2026.

These regulations supersede the 2018 Regulations, increasing many existing fees and introducing specific new charges related to accessing 'key military service personnel documents' transferred from the Ministry of Defence, while also granting the Keeper powers to remit fees in certain circumstances, such as when no relevant records are found.

This Order, made under the powers conferred by the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Armed Forces Act 2006, increases the maximum financial compensation limits payable by the Secretary of State for miscarriages of justice. Specifically, it raises the limit from £1 million to £1,300,000 for severe cases involving detention of 10 years or more, and from £500,000 to £650,000 for other cases, affecting both civilian convictions (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) and Court Martial convictions, with transitional rules governing applications received before and after the Order comes into force.

The Court and Public Guardian Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025 amends several existing statutory instruments concerning court and public guardian fees.

This Order introduces an exemption from probate fees for estates involving emergency service personnel or armed forces personnel eligible for inheritance tax reliefs, and revises the fee for obtaining copies of specific probate documents.

Furthermore, it increases fees charged by the Public Guardian for registering Enduring and Lasting Powers of Attorney, and implements new fee exemptions for civil proceedings related to insolvency protective orders and judicial referrals concerning the parole decisions for prisoners.

This Order, presented to His Majesty in Council and approved by both Houses of Parliament, extends the expiry date of the Armed Forces Act 2006 for a further twelve months, ensuring that the Act, which was originally due to expire on 14th December 2025, remains in force until the end of 14th December 2026, as provided for under section 382(2) of that Act.

The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2025, effective May 30th, 2025, amend several sets of tribunal procedure rules.

Key changes include clarifying that tribunals can set aside decisions on their own initiative or applications by parties, and mandating written notification to all parties when a decision is set aside. Additionally, a specific amendment restores community patient rights regarding hearings in health-related cases.

These amendments improve procedural fairness and address issues identified in past legislation and case law.