United Kingdom: Human Rights

The Administrative Court has delivered a significant judgment clarifying that the Home Office Crime Recording Rules (HOCA) do not govern police retention of information on local databases. In a case involving an autistic eight-year-old child, the court emphasized that retention decisions must be made under the College of Policing's guidance, requiring individualized assessments of necessity and proportionality rather than relying on crime recording statistics frameworks.

Understanding the mechanisms for challenging Ofcom's decisions under the Online Safety Act is crucial for regulated providers navigating this complex new regime. This guide explores the public law principles that govern potential challenges, from judicial review claims to Upper Tribunal appeals, and examines what enforcement actions can be contested and on what grounds.

Recent statistics reveal a 13% rise in deaths in state detention across England and Wales in 2025, reaching 622 deaths—the highest level since 2017. This increase was primarily driven by deaths in prison custody and among those detained under the Mental Health Act, raising critical questions about state care systems and the role of coroner inquests in preventing future deaths.

The UK Government has responded to parliamentary concerns about the Supreme Court's AGNI decision and its impact on deprivation of liberty safeguards in healthcare settings. While additional guidance is promised for autumn 2026, no immediate legislative reforms are planned, leaving providers and commissioners to navigate complex implementation challenges with existing statutory frameworks.

The Thirlwall Inquiry into Lucy Letby's crimes reveals critical safeguarding failures that extend far beyond the NHS. Local authorities, as statutory safeguarding partners, must examine how the inquiry's findings on evidential thresholds, LADO referrals, and organisational culture apply to their own partnership arrangements and take concrete action to strengthen child protection across all sectors.

MPs have voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at its Second Reading, marking the end of the latest parliamentary attempt to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. The Bill, which was defeated by 286 votes to 270, brought the contentious issue back to the parliamentary agenda after an earlier version failed to complete its passage in the previous session.

Substance abuse can place significant strain on a marriage, eroding trust and creating serious emotional and financial challenges for families.

Organisation Intersex International Europe (OII Europe) is collaborating with A&O Shearman on a groundbreaking pro bono project to build capacity for strategic litigation on intersex rights across Europe. The initiative aims to create an intersex case law database that will improve access to comparative legal resources and enable more effective use of litigation mechanisms to advance intersex rights across jurisdictions.

The UK Government's proposal to use parliamentary sovereignty to shield energy project consents from judicial review faces fundamental constitutional and practical obstacles