Worldwide: Constitutional & Administrative Law

The House of Lords Committee has launched a consultation to gather perspectives on the implementation and effectiveness of the Online Safety Act. Stakeholders are invited to submit their views on how the legislation is functioning in practice and what improvements might be needed. This inquiry represents a critical opportunity to shape the future direction of online safety regulation in the UK.

The Court of Appeal has issued its first judgment on personal welfare deputyship applications, clarifying when deputies should be appointed for adults lacking capacity to make welfare decisions. This landmark ruling examines the balance between collaborative decision-making and the practical benefits of formal deputyship, establishing key factors that courts must consider when determining whether appointment would enhance decision-making effectiveness.

The 2026 Supreme Court judgment in AGNI has fundamentally altered how care providers must assess Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) requirements, moving beyond the previous Cheshire West "acid test" to a holistic, multifactorial approach. What does this mean for care homes evaluating whether residents with dementia can validly consent to their confinement, and how should providers navigate the complex interplay between capacity, consent, and documentation requirements?

The Government’s proposed ‘challenge window’ for NSIP decisions may cure simple drafting points, but is unlikely to reduce judicial reviews meaningfully and risks adding delay, cost and constitutional complications.

This July wrap-up podcast examines critical developments in public law, including the Court of Appeal's latest guidance on ECHR property rights and proportionality, practical lessons from recent regulatory challenges, and the Divisional Court's landmark decision on facial recognition technology that offers important insights for AI use by public authorities.

Gowling WLG's public law specialists examine six significant cases from Q1 2026, covering energy price control appeals, procedural fairness in proscription decisions, immigration decision corrections...

The UK Government has designated nine local planning authorities for "special measures" under section 62A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, enabling developers to bypass local councils and submit major planning applications directly to the Planning Inspectorate. This intervention creates new strategic options for housebuilders and commercial developers, but requires careful consideration of when and how to use this alternative route to consent.

The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator have joined forces to publish new guidance to help people who want to raise funds for charity, emphasising the need for people to fundraise in a way that protects...

After six weeks of bruising election campaigning – not to mention recent years in which politics has strained the UK's long-founded reputation for consensus and stable policymaking – the nation wakes up on 5 July with a major shift in the landscape.