Justice Legislation
Laws relating to criminal justice, court procedures, legal services, law enforcement, and judicial administration.
The Control of Mercury (Enforcement) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
The Regulations amended the Control of Mercury (Enforcement) Regulations 2017 to implement EU changes regarding dental amalgam restrictions in Northern Ireland, updating customs enforcement provisions and defining transitional relief until 2034.
The Control of Mercury (Enforcement) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amend the 2017 Regulations to implement new restrictions on mercury, focusing specifically on dental amalgam within Northern Ireland as required by the 2024 EU amendment regulation concerning mercury.
These changes update customs enforcement powers regarding import and export prohibitions and clarify temporary exemptions for existing use and import of dental amalgam by registered dental professionals in Northern Ireland until the end of 2034, while also adding corresponding reporting duties.
The Senedd Cymru (Disqualification) Order 2025
The Welsh Parliament (Disqualification) Order 2025 was made, identifying specific incompatible public offices, and the 2020 Disqualification Order was repealed, with commencement dates set for April 2026.
This Order, made by the King in Council under powers granted by the Government of Wales Act 2006, officially names itself the Welsh Parliament (Disqualification) Order 2025 and revokes the previous 2020 Order, although the 2020 Order remains effective for any Senedd election polling before April 6, 2026.
The primary function of the 2025 Order is to designate specific public offices listed in the Schedule whose holders are disqualified from being elected or remaining as a Member of the Senedd (MS), with the disqualification commencing its full effect for elections held on or after April 6, 2026.
The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (County of East Sussex) (Amendment), Bus Lane Contraventions (Approved Local Authorities) (Amendment) and Moving Traffic Contraventions Designation Order 2025
The Order amended parking enforcement areas in East Sussex, designated areas for bus lane contravention enforcement in Cambridgeshire, and designated areas for moving traffic contravention enforcement across eight different local authorities.
This Order, made by the Secretary of State under the powers conferred by the Traffic Management Act 2004, serves to amend existing regulations concerning parking contraventions in East Sussex, specifically expanding the designated areas within Hastings and Lewes.
Furthermore, it designates parts of Cambridgeshire County Council's area for bus lane contravention enforcement and designates specific parts of the areas governed by Brighton and Hove City Council, Calderdale, Cornwall Council, Dorset Council, Kirklees Borough Council, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Milton Keynes City Council, and Slough Borough Council as civil enforcement areas for moving traffic contraventions, effective from December 9th, 2025.
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Removal of Prisoners for Deportation) Order 2025
The Order amended section 260 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, changing the pre-removal percentage and time period criteria for deporting eligible foreign national prisoners in England and Wales.
This Order amends Section 260 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, changing the criteria under which foreign national offenders serving a determinate sentence in England and Wales can be removed from prison for deportation purposes.
Specifically, it revises the minimum custodial period that must be served before removal and the maximum period permitted prior to the automatic release date, modifying the threshold percentage from one half to 30% and the time period from 545 days to 4 years.
The Inspectors of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (No. 4) Order 2025
The Order formally appointed named individuals as His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education, Children’s Services and Skills, effective from November 13th, 2025.
This Order, issued by His Majesty in Council on November 12, 2025, formally appoints the individuals listed in the Schedule as His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education, Children’s Services and Skills, effective from November 13, 2025, exercising powers conferred under section 114(1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
The Regulations brought into force the remaining provisions of Section 304 of the Energy Act 2023 concerning excluded disposal sites on December 2nd, 2025, as part of the fourth commencement order for the Act.
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under the powers in the Energy Act 2023, specify that provisions of that Act will commence on 2nd December 2025; specifically, Regulation 2 brings into force the remaining parts of Section 304, which amends the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 to establish a pathway for excluding specific installations used for disposing of nuclear matter from the existing nuclear third party liability regime.
The Nuclear Installations (Prescribed Conditions and Excepted Matter) Regulations 2025
The Regulations prescribed conditions for nuclear disposal site exemption from the NTPL regime and amended the 2017 regulations to define disposed matter as excepted matter.
These Regulations establish the necessary technical conditions for certain nuclear installations used for the disposal of nuclear matter to be exempt from the strict liability provisions of the Nuclear Third Party Liability (NTPL) regime established under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965.
The requirements include limiting the effective dose to the public off-site to no more than 1 millisievert and ensuring the risk of criticality on the site is negligible; furthermore, the legislation amends previous regulations to define nuclear matter disposed of on such an exempted site as 'excepted matter,' thereby clarifying liability responsibilities.
The National Health Service (Help with Health Costs) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2025
The Regulations amended rules governing NHS health costs, eligibility for travel expense remission, optical voucher entitlements, introduced free tuberculosis drug prescriptions, corrected cancer exemption issues for prepayment certificates, and updated prepayment certificate refund amounts.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care enacts these Regulations under the National Health Service Act 2006 to amend existing NHS charging and remission rules, specifically granting eligibility for full NHS charge remission and travel expense reimbursement to individuals medically evacuated from conflict zones.
Furthermore, the Regulations introduce free prescription charges for drugs supplying treatment for tuberculosis and its effects, correct previous amendments concerning automatic prepayment certificate cancellations for cancer patients gaining exemptions, and update the monetary values for prescription prepayment certificate refunds to align with current pricing structures.