United Kingdom: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Facing harassment allegations requires careful handling to avoid worsening your legal position. Understanding what constitutes harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, preserving crucial evidence, and knowing when to seek professional legal representation can significantly impact the outcome of your case.

HMRC has introduced anti-avoidance information notices (AAINs) under Part 6 of the Finance Act 2026, granting significantly broader powers to investigate tax avoidance promotion and facilitation. These notices can target a wide network of connected persons—including directors, advisers, and intermediaries—without requiring proof that tax was lost or that arrangements were ineffective. With substantial civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance, businesses and advisers must understand who ca

HMRC's new anti-avoidance information notice regime grants broad investigative powers to gather information from persons suspected of connection to tax avoidance arrangements. The guidance reveals an expansive "connected person" test that may extend beyond promoters and taxpayers to include advisers, accountants, insurers and other professional service providers involved in making arrangements available, organizing them, or deriving benefits from them.

This comprehensive regulatory update examines critical developments affecting legal professionals, from the landmark determination of the SRA's investigative powers under Section 44B to proposed reforms in costs dispute resolution and compliance officer roles. The analysis explores how recent court decisions, regulatory changes, and industry proposals are reshaping the landscape of legal practice management and professional liability.

An independent Premier League Commission has found Manchester City in breach of financial rules spanning nine seasons, with findings that the club artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by over £900 million. The decision marks what the Premier League describes as the most significant case in its history, though Manchester City strongly disputes the findings and intends to appeal, setting the stage for further proceedings that could reshape English football's regulatory landscape.

Piers Morgan has threatened legal action against Earl Charles Spencer over claims in his memoir 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister' that falsely attributed intrusive photographs of Princess Diana to Morgan's editorship. The Earl swiftly apologized for the factual error, raising questions about how early apologies and offers of amends might affect potential defamation proceedings and damage awards.

The Lady Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor announced a significant restructuring of the High Court with the creation of a new Business and Property Division. This new Division consolidates all courts sitting in the Rolls Building under unified administrative leadership, though individual courts will maintain their existing jurisdictions and expertise.

A High Court ruling has determined that the Solicitors Regulation Authority cannot compel production of legally privileged documents under section 44B of the Solicitors Act 1974, fundamentally limiting the regulator's investigative powers. The decision raises critical questions about the scope of regulatory investigations when client privilege is asserted, particularly in cases involving third-party complaints where the firm and client's interests align.

Piers Morgan has threatened legal action against Earl Charles Spencer over claims in his memoir 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister' that falsely attributed intrusive photographs of Princess Diana to Morgan's editorship. The Earl swiftly apologized for the factual error, raising questions about how early apologies and offers of amends might affect potential defamation proceedings and damage awards.

Eversheds Sutherland provides comprehensive legal services through a global network of separate and distinct legal entities. The firm's website offers access to legal professionals, insights on international arbitration, workplace technology deployment, and sovereign immunity cases, while maintaining clear disclaimers about the general information nature of its materials.

The UK Supreme Court's narrow 3-2 decision in The Kingdom of Bahrain v Shehabi denies state immunity to foreign governments accused of remotely hacking individuals within UK territory, establishing that cyber surveillance operations causing harm to UK residents fall outside traditional immunity protections. This landmark ruling clarifies the territorial tort exception under the State Immunity Act 1978 and may expose foreign states to liability for state-sponsored cyberattacks targeting UK-based individuals

The UK Supreme Court has ruled on whether sovereign states can invoke immunity to resist enforcement of adverse ICSID arbitration awards in English courts. Spain and Zimbabwe challenged the registration...