Justice Legislation

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

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 9) and Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2025

The Regulations activated specific sections of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 concerning compulsory purchase procedures, development corporations, and EDPs, with commencement dates staggered between the day after the Regulations were made, February 18th, 2026, and April 1st, 2026.


These Regulations establish the commencement dates for various provisions within the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, primarily setting 18th February 2026 as the start date for certain compulsory purchase order reforms and several aspects of Development Corporation powers, while bringing forward regulatory powers and provisions related to Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) immediately, alongside transitional measures to govern ongoing compulsory purchase procedures.

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The Norfolk Boreas Offshore Wind Farm (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2025

The Secretary of State made non-material changes to the Norfolk Boreas Offshore Wind Farm Order 2021, introducing Defra, updating the undertaker, correcting coordinates, and modifying environmental compensation obligations via provisions for the Marine Recovery Fund.


The Secretary of State has issued The Norfolk Boreas Offshore Wind Farm (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2025, which makes non-material changes to the original 2021 Development Consent Order for the Norfolk Boreas Offshore Wind Farm.

This Order, effective December 19th, 2025, officially incorporates a definition for Defra, updates the definition of the undertaker, corrects several precise geographical coordinates defining the authorized development, and significantly amends compensation provisions related to the Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton Special Area of Conservation (HHW SAC) by introducing the Marine Recovery Fund as a potential alternative to direct marine debris removal.

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The Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025

The regulations revoked the majority of the Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, specifically Parts 2, 3, and 4, and several ancillary regulations (72, 73, 75 except for one definition, 76, 77(1), and 77(2)).


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.

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The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025

Published: Tue 23rd Dec 25

The Regulations activated specific definitional and consequential provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 on December 27, 2025, in preparation for the full commencement of investigatory powers.


These Regulations initiate the first partial commencement of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, bringing specified sections into force on December 27, 2025, primarily to establish key definitions necessary for the operation of investigatory powers under Part 4 of the Act and to enable the production of statutory guidance for local authorities regarding financial penalties under the Housing Act 2004.

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The Online Safety Act 2023 (Priority Offences) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

The Regulations added offences related to encouraging serious self-harm and specific digital sexual offences to Schedule 7 of the Online Safety Act 2023 and revoked the 2024 amending regulations.


These Regulations amend Schedule 7 of the Online Safety Act 2023 by designating specific criminal acts as 'priority offences,' which imposes specific duties on online service providers to tackle content related to these crimes.

Specifically, the Regulations introduce an offence concerning encouraging or assisting serious self-harm and update provisions regarding offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 related to sharing intimate images, having been approved by Parliament and extending across the UK. The legal instrument also revokes the previous related amendment regulations from 2024.

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The Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025

The Secretary of State introduced regulations creating an open data scheme for motor fuel prices, establishing an aggregator, imposing data submission duties on fuel traders, granting enforcement powers to the CMA, and setting financial penalties and procedural appeals.


These Regulations, made under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, establish a mandatory open data scheme requiring motor fuel traders in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to register their petrol filling stations and report the selling price of motor fuels to an appointed third-party 'aggregator'.

Motor fuel traders must provide this price information, including any subsequent changes within 30 minutes of occurrence, for public dissemination via an Application Programming Interface (API) and other means.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for enforcement, with powers to issue compliance notices, conduct investigations, impose financial penalties up to 1% of worldwide turnover, and pursue criminal sanctions for false information or obstruction.

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The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 (Commencement) Regulations 2025

Published: Fri 19th Dec 25

The Regulations formally commenced the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024, setting its activation date for 29th December 2025.


These Regulations officially bring the entirety of the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 into force on 29th December 2025, activating the amendments made to the Employment Rights Act 1996 that introduce provisions for paternity leave when a mother or a person expecting to adopt a child dies.

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The Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) (No. 2) Regulations 2025

Published: Thu 18th Dec 25

The Regulations amended Schedule 6B of the Enterprise Act 2002 to impose notification and publication duties on state-owned investors acquiring stakes in newspaper owners, effective in stages from March 13, 2024, for amendment purposes and January 31, 2026, for key operational provisions.


These Regulations amend Part 1A of Schedule 6B to the Enterprise Act 2002, establishing specific conditions under which a foreign power that controls or influences a newspaper owner via a state-owned investor is exempt from merger control prohibitions.

The amendments replace previous conditions by requiring state-owned investors holding directly between 5% and 15% of shares or voting rights in a newspaper owner to issue a qualifying notification to the Secretary of State and publish specified information online within 14 days of acquisition to qualify for the exception, while also limiting the total aggregate holding by state-owned investors across all foreign powers to 15%.

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