Justice Legislation

Laws relating to criminal justice, court procedures, legal services, law enforcement, and judicial administration.

The Online Safety Super-Complaints (Eligibility and Procedural Matters) Regulations 2025

These regulations, effective December 31, 2025, govern the submission of super-complaints regarding online safety to OFCOM under the Online Safety Act 2023.

They define eligibility criteria for entities submitting complaints, specifying requirements for supporting evidence and the information to be included in the complaints.

The regulations also outline grounds for rejecting complaints, procedures for OFCOM's response, and restrictions on complaint submissions.

The Legislative Reform (Disclosure of Adult Social Care Data) Order 2025

The Legislative Reform (Disclosure of Adult Social Care Data) Order 2025 amends the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004.

The amendment allows for the sharing of matched adult social care data with local authorities in England and Wales to improve fraud detection, recover lost funds, and streamline administration.

The Order was made under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 and received parliamentary approval.

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025 bring into force various sections of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, effective August 20, 2025.

These sections cover aspects such as access to customer and business data, amendments to the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, the establishment of the Information Commission, and provisions related to online safety, eIDAS regulations, copyright, and AI. The regulations specify which subsections of each section come into force, and their geographical extent across the UK.

The Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2025

These regulations amend the Enterprise Act 2002 to create exceptions within the merger control regime for newspaper enterprises involving foreign powers.

They introduce specific circumstances under which a foreign power's holding of shares or voting rights in a newspaper owner does not constitute control or influence, primarily focusing on situations involving state-owned investors with limited holdings and associated persons with minimal ownership stakes.

The changes aim to streamline the merger review process while addressing concerns around foreign influence.

The Nuclear Installations (Compensation for Nuclear Damage) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

The Nuclear Installations (Compensation for Nuclear Damage) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amend the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 to implement the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC).

The amendments remove a lower liability cap for claims under the CSC, unifying the liability limit with the one applied under the Paris Convention.

This increase in potential compensation is aimed at better protecting victims of nuclear incidents while aligning UK law with international standards.

Consequential changes across several sections of the 1965 Act ensure consistency and functionality in managing compensation claims.

The Arbitration Act 2025 (Commencement) Regulations 2025

Published: Thu 24th Jul 25

The Arbitration Act 2025 (Commencement) Regulations 2025, signed July 16th, 2025, by the Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, bring into effect all provisions of the Arbitration Act 2025 not already in force.

All provisions of the Act are now effective as of August 1st, 2025, creating a comprehensive legal framework for arbitration in the UK.

The Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2025

Published: Wed 23rd Jul 25

The Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2025, effective August 5th, 2025, amend the Firearms Rules 1998 in England, Wales, and Scotland.

Key changes include increasing the required number of referees for shotgun certificate applications from one to two, and updating the application forms for firearm/shotgun certificates and firearms dealer registrations.

These new forms request information about neuro-developmental conditions and time spent abroad.

Transitional arrangements allow the use of older forms until September 5th, 2025.

The Local Audit (Major Local Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Published: Tue 22nd Jul 25

The Local Audit (Major Local Audit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, effective August 17, 2025, amend the 2014 Local Audit Regulations.

The key change increases the financial threshold for designating a local authority audit as 'major'.

For financial years starting after April 1st, 2025, this threshold rises to £875 million (from £500 million).

This adjustment applies to England and Wales only, impacting local governance and financial accountability.