Justice Legislation
Laws relating to criminal justice, court procedures, legal services, law enforcement, and judicial administration.
The legislation restricted unmanned aircraft flights below 1,400 feet in the Firth of Forth area between April 19th and April 24th, 2026, due to Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier operations.
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Firth of Forth) Regulations 2026 enforce a temporary prohibition on unmanned aircraft flying below 1,400 feet above mean sea level within a precisely defined area of the Firth of Forth, commencing at 0100 hours UTC on April 19, 2026, and ending at 2300 hours UTC on April 24, 2026, specifically to accommodate the necessary operations of a Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier, with exemptions provided for authorized military, police, fire/rescue, or coastguard activities.
The Sentencing Act 2026 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2026
- Department: Ministry of Justice
- Made under: Sentencing Act 2026
The regulations brought specified sections of the Sentencing Act 2026 into force across the UK on May 11, 2026, and June 1, 2026, affecting prison capacity reporting, community sentence completion, and licence termination for public protection sentences.
These Regulations officially activate specified parts of the Sentencing Act 2026 across the whole of the UK by setting two commencement dates: May 11, 2026, and June 1, 2026.
The provisions coming into force primarily concern establishing a duty for the Secretary of State to report annually on prison capacity, repealing outdated supervision rules, making community order and suspended sentence supervision termination simpler upon requirement completion, and enabling offenders serving IPP or DPP sentences to request early licence termination review by the Parole Board.
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 Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) (Amendment) Rules 2026
- Department: Ministry of Justice
- Made under: Courts and Enforcement Act 2007
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
- Department: Department of Health and Social Care
- Made under: Mental Health Act 2025
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
- Department: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
- Made under: Electricity Act 1989
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).