Justice Legislation
Laws relating to criminal justice, court procedures, legal services, law enforcement, and judicial administration.
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Dinas Powys, Wales) (Emergency) Regulations 2026
Regulations immediately restricted unmanned aircraft below 1,400 feet over a specified area in Dinas Powys, Wales, due to an emergency.
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Dinas Powys, Wales) (Emergency) Regulations 2026 immediately restricts all unmanned aircraft from flying below 1,400 feet above mean sea level within a 0.5 nautical mile radius centered on Dinas Powys, Wales, due to an emergency affecting the public interest, though these controls do not apply to aircraft operating under directions from the South Wales Police and are intended to be temporary.
The Rules amended the 2013 Tribunal Procedure for the Property Chamber to incorporate jurisdiction under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and adjusted provisions related to costs orders for Housing Act 1988 financial penalty appeals.
These Rules amend the existing 2013 procedural rules governing the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, primarily to integrate the jurisdiction created by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 concerning residential property disputes and new penalties, while also clarifying the scope of the Tribunal’s authority to make costs orders in specific Housing Act 1988 penalty appeals.
Correction to Mental Health Act 2025 Commencement Order
A correction notice was issued for The Mental Health Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026, amending a referencing error in a footnote.
This statutory instrument correction notice officially amends The Mental Health Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026 by correcting a typographical error on page 1, specifically changing the reference year in footnote (a) from '2005' to the correct year, '2025', to align with the primary legislation being brought into force.
The Social Security Contributions (Umbrella Companies) Regulations 2026
Established joint liability for National Insurance payments between umbrella companies, recruitment agencies, and clients to prevent tax avoidance in labour supply chains.
These regulations establish joint and several liability for National Insurance contributions (NICs) within labour supply chains involving umbrella companies.
They direct that recruitment agencies or end-clients must pay unpaid Class 1 NICs if the umbrella company employing a worker fails to do so.
The rules apply to 'relevant parties'—typically the agency closest to the client in the contractual chain—and include provisions to prevent avoidance through 'purported' umbrella companies or fraudulent documentation.
The regulations affect recruitment businesses, umbrella companies, and various clients across the United Kingdom who engage workers via intermediaries.
The Mental Health Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026
Two statutory instruments officially brought specific sections of the Mental Health Act 2025 into force on April 6th, 2026, covering human rights application to private providers and mandating a review of notification procedures for young inpatients in England.
These Regulations officially bring Sections 51 and 52 of the Mental Health Act 2025 into legal force starting April 6th, 2026.
Section 51 extends the Human Rights Act 1998 compatibility requirements to mental health services provided by private care providers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, while Section 52 places a specific duty on the Secretary of State to review and report on the regulations concerning notification to the Care Quality Commission when individuals under eighteen are admitted as inpatients for mental health treatment, applicable only to England.
The Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2026
Switched the inflation indexing for renewable electricity buy-out prices and mutualisation caps from RPI to CPI effective April 2026.
This Order amends the Renewables Obligation Order 2015 to change the inflation index used for adjusting the buy-out price and the mutualisation cap for electricity suppliers in England and Wales.
It replaces the Retail Prices Index (RPI) with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for all obligation periods starting on or after 1 April 2026.
These changes apply to all licensed electricity suppliers who must either produce Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) or make cash buy-out payments to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (Ofgem).
The Grants to the Churches Conservation Trust Order 2026
The Order specified the funding period from April 2026 to March 2029 and set the maximum aggregate grant amount at £9,531,000 for the Churches Conservation Trust, revoking the 2025 Order.
This Statutory Instrument, made by the Secretary of State with Treasury approval, sets the framework for financial support to the Churches Conservation Trust in England and Wales for the period beginning 1st April 2026 and ending 31st March 2029, specifying that the total aggregate grants paid under the Redundant Churches and other Religious Buildings Act 1969 during this time must not exceed £9,531,000, and it simultaneously revokes the preceding 2025 Order.
The Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Increased the statutory compensation payments for workers with dust-related diseases and their dependants by 3.8% starting April 2026.
These Regulations increase the lump sum compensation amounts payable to individuals suffering from certain dust-related diseases, such as pneumoconiosis and diffuse mesothelioma, or to their dependants.
They apply to cases in England, Wales, and Scotland where a person first meets the entitlement conditions on or after 1 April 2026.
The instrument raises specific statutory payment limits and replaces the payment tables in the 1988 Regulations to reflect a 3.8% increase across all categories of age and disability percentage.