United Kingdom: Corporate Governance

The way employers carry out checks will stay the same. However, checks will no longer be limited to employees. Instead, the rules will apply to a much wider range of working arrangements.

Minority shareholders often face challenges in exercising their rights within a company, but UK law provides several mechanisms to protect their interests and hold majority shareholders accountable. Understanding these legal protections is crucial for investors who hold non-controlling stakes in private companies and need to safeguard their position against potential abuse or unfair treatment.

The Department for Education has introduced significant changes to the Academy Trust Handbook 2026, effective from 1 October 2026, strengthening expectations around governance, financial sustainability, procurement, inclusion, executive remuneration and transparency. This briefing note provides academy trusts with a comprehensive overview of the main regulatory changes and outlines the practical steps trustees, accounting officers and executive leaders should be taking now to ensure compliance with the new