Defence Legislation
Laws and policies relating to military operations, defense procurement, armed forces administration, and national security strategy.
The Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
The Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 update the existing 2020 sanctions framework concerning the Central African Republic to incorporate amendments mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2745 (2024) and 2789 (2025).
These amendments primarily introduce new definitions for "armed group operating in the Central African Republic" and "associated individual" and subsequently amend provisions concerning the arms embargo, export of military goods, provision of technical assistance, financial services, and brokering activities to target these non-state actors directly, ensuring the UK's sanctions regime reflects its international obligations.
The Unmanned Aircraft (Offences and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025
These Regulations establish criminal offences in the UK for UAS operators and remote pilots who fail to comply with specific requirements detailed in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 concerning the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
The legislation, which comes into force in January 2026 across the whole of the UK, specifies the breaches that constitute offences, ranging from registration failures to competency issues across 'open', 'specific', and 'certified' flight categories, sets out associated summary conviction penalties, and makes consequential amendments to the Police Act 1997, the Air Navigation Order 2016, and the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 to reflect these new criminal provisions.
The Ozone-Depleting Substances (Grant of Halon Derogations) Regulations 2025
The Ozone-Depleting Substances (Grant of Halon Derogations) Regulations 2025, made by the Secretary of State with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers, provide specific derogations from Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 concerning the phase-out date for using halon 1211 in portable fire extinguishers.
The regulations extend permissions for this substance in fire suppression systems for specified Defence aircraft until June 2027 for some models and December 2040 for others, and for Loganair aircraft until December 2026, based on the justification that no technically or economically feasible alternatives currently exist for these critical aviation applications.
These Regulations, made under powers in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, prescribe a new purpose allowing a chief officer of police to disclose information to assist a person located outside the United Kingdom in assessing an individual's suitability for a role working with children.
The instrument cites the relevant empowering sections, states it applies to England and Wales, and sets a commencement date of 18th December 2025.
The Parole Board (Amendment) Rules 2025 primarily amend the Parole Board Rules 2019 to integrate definitions related to victims from the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, clarify delegation of functions, refine procedures for managing withheld evidence involving Special Advocates, establish new requirements for victim observation of hearings, and set out the process for referring release decisions to the High Court as enabled by recent legislation.
These rules govern how the Parole Board conducts its hearings and determinations concerning prisoner release and licence revocation in England and Wales.
The Data Protection Act 2018 (Qualifying Competent Authorities) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA), specify which public bodies qualify as 'qualifying competent authorities' to engage in joint processing of personal data with intelligence services under Part 4 of the DPA, a power enabled by the Data (Use and Access) Act to assist in safeguarding national security; the instrument lists various government departments, police forces, customs, and judicial/monitoring bodies as qualifying authorities, citing consultation with the Information Commissioner and Parliamentary approval, and stipulates that the regulations come into force twenty-one days after being made and extend across the UK.
This Order, made by the Secretary of State under the Terrorism Act 2000, revokes the Proscribed Organisations (Name Change) Order 2017, effectively removing the designation that specified 'Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham' as another name for the proscribed organisation Al-Qa’ida across the United Kingdom.
The Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 and the Terrorism Act 2000 (Port Examination Codes of Practice) Regulations 2025
These regulations implement revised codes of practice for examining officers under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 and the Terrorism Act 2000.
The Secretary of State revised the codes, published drafts for consultation, considered feedback, and laid the final versions before Parliament.
The updated codes govern the exercise of powers at UK ports and the Northern Ireland border related to combating terrorism and hostile state activity, aiming for better clarity, training, and adherence to legal frameworks.