Justice Legislation
Laws relating to criminal justice, court procedures, legal services, law enforcement, and judicial administration.
The Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025
The Secretary of State, exercising powers under the Government of Wales Act 2006, enacted this Order to introduce necessary consequential amendments to existing legislation following the passing of the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024.
This Order modifies the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 to include infrastructure consent when considering site licences, amends the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 regarding consultation requirements related to government authorisation, and updates the Finance Act 2013 to incorporate infrastructure consent into rules governing the conversion of dwellings for non-residential use, ensuring legal alignment with the new infrastructure consenting process in Wales.
The M60/M62/M66 Simister Island Interchange Development Consent (Correction) Order 2025
This Order formally enacts corrections to the M60/M62/M66 Simister Island Interchange Development Consent Order 2025 following a request from the applicant and statutory procedures under the Planning Act 2008.
The corrections, detailed in the Schedule, involve substituting or inserting specific text related to the authorised development works and public rights of way terminology within the original consent documentation, and the Order commences on 16th December 2025.
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 Health and Care Act 2022 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care made these Regulations under the powers granted by the Health and Care Act 2022 to make consequential amendments to the Down Syndrome Act 2022, which apply to England and Wales.
Specifically, the Regulations update the Schedule of the Down Syndrome Act 2022 by substituting references to the former National Health Service Commissioning Board with 'NHS England' and references to a 'clinical commissioning group' with 'an integrated care board', reflecting structural reforms enacted in the 2022 Act.
This Order formally designates two specific independent schools in England, St Thomas of Canterbury CE Primary School and Edullect Academy Independent School, recognizing them as having a religious character aligned with the Church of England and Islam, respectively, effective from December 13th, 2025.
Furthermore, the Order legally revokes the previous designations of several other independent schools listed in various prior Orders dating back to 2003 and 2004, updating the official record of schools permitted to conduct their operations and employment decisions based on religious or denominational considerations.
The Sanctions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Overseas Territories) Order 2025, enacted under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, makes widespread technical amendments across numerous extant sanctions Orders applicable to listed British overseas territories (OTs).
The primary purpose is to align OT sanctions legislation with recent UK amendments (specifically the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2024), particularly by clarifying financial regulatory authority roles (transferring responsibilities from the Treasury to the Governor) and expanding the scope of 'relevant firms' subject to reporting obligations to include entities dealing with cryptoassets, high-value goods transactions, and insolvency proceedings.
The Football Governance Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2025
These Regulations officially bring into force the second set of provisions from the Football Governance Act 2025, appointing 12th December 2025 as the commencement date for many sections.
The commencement targets key areas including the suitability requirements for incumbent club owners and officers (Part 4), the investigatory powers granted to the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) (Part 7), the enforcement sanctions framework (Part 8), and the review and appeals processes (Part 9).
Certain aspects of these parts, particularly those relating to operating licences, are explicitly excluded from this commencement order.
The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Permitted Disclosures) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, amend the list of permitted disclosures that cannot be precluded by agreement, specifically allowing victims of crime to disclose information to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) for compensation claims under relevant schemes and to courts or tribunals handling related proceedings.
Additionally, the regulations expand the definition of a 'qualified lawyer' within the Act to include registered foreign lawyers, ensuring victims can seek relevant legal advice regarding their victimization.