United Kingdom: Draft Legislation to Regulate Cryptocurrency Published
On April 29, 2025, the government of the United Kingdom published draft legislation that would create a regulatory regime for cryptoassets, including stablecoins. The proposal would apply a regulatory framework, similar to the one governing financial services to crypto exchanges, dealers, and agents to “give investors confidence and protect consumers.” The draft regulations would expand … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Draft Legislation to Regulate…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2025-06-18
Article
United Kingdom: Agreement with Palestinian Authority Commits to Bilateral Cooperation
On April 28, 2025, the government of the United Kingdom and the Palestinian Authority signed a memorandum of understanding supporting an independent Palestinian state and pledging cooperation on a range of issues.The memorandum “establishes a new framework to guide and enhance the bilateral partnership of the [U.K. and the Palestinian Authority] and strengthen their international … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Agreement with Palestinian Authority…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2025-05-28
Article
United Kingdom: Bill Would Introduce New Immigration Offenses
On January 30, 2025, the United Kingdom’s Home Office introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill in the UK House of Commons. The bill aims to expand the powers of the police and other agencies with regard to immigration offenses and serious crime.The bill reflects the government’s view that organized immigration crime is a … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Bill Would Introduce New…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2025-03-05
Article
United Kingdom: Compensation Plan for Wrongly Convicted Postmasters Implemented
The Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) is now open for applications for postmasters wrongly convicted in the Post Office Horizon Scandal. The HCRS was created to compensate postal employees whose improper convictions for fraud, false accounting, money laundering, theft, handling stolen goods, or ancillary offenses were overturned. Background on the Post Office Horizon ScandalBetween 1999 and … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Compensation Plan for…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-08-27
Article
United Kingdom: Tobacco and Vapes Bill Introduced
On March 20, 2024, the government of the United Kingdom (U.K.) introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is designed to stop addiction and create the first ever smoke-free generation in the U.K. by completely prohibiting the sale of tobacco to those born on or after January 1, 2009. The aim of the bill, which … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Tobacco and Vapes Bill…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-04-17
Article
United Kingdom: Government Places Temporary Export Bar on Artist’s Culturally Significant Work
On December 11, 2023 the United Kingdom’s (U.K.’s) secretary of state for the department for culture, media and sport announced that, upon the recommendation of the Reviewing Committee of the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), it was placing a temporary export bar on a bottle jar created by artist … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Government Places Temporary Export…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-02-29
Article
United Kingdom: Competition Regulator Finds Two UK Grocery Retailers Using Anticompetitive Land Agreements
On December 6, 2023, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) (formerly the Competition Commission), an independent nonministerial government department that is responsible for competition and consumer protection in the United Kingdom (U.K.), announced that it had taken action against two grocery retailers in the U.K. for breaching the Groceries and Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Competition Regulator Finds Two…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-02-19
Article
United Kingdom: Government Takes Measures to Prevent Deforestation of World’s Forests
The government of the United Kingdom (U.K.) announced on December 9, 2023, that it was going to introduce regulations to help reduce deforestation in the world’s forests that is caused by the use of consumer goods in the U.K. The Forest Risk Commodities Scheme (the plan), made under schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021, … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Government Takes Measures to…
United Kingdom: Unilever’s Claims About Green Products Investigated
On December 12, 2023, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) (formerly the Competition Commission), an independent non-ministerial government department responsible for competition and consumer protection in the United Kingdom, announced in a press release that it is undertaking an investigation into claims made by Unilever UK Ltd. that its products are environmentally friendly and use … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Unilever’s Claims About Green…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-02-04
Article
United Kingdom: Environment Agency May Use Unlimited Financial Penalties Against Polluters
On December 1, 2023, an amendment to the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010 entered into force in the United Kingdom, removing the 250,000 pound sterling (approximately US$315,000) cap to the variable monetary penalties the Environment Agency can impose for certain environmental offenses. This means that an unlimited variable monetary penalty may now be imposed … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Environment Agency May Use…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-02-01
Article
United Kingdom: Parts of New National Security Act Come into Force
Parts of the National Security Act 2023 entered into force in the United Kingdom (U.K.) on December 20, 2023. The act, described as “the most significant reform of espionage law in a century,” modernizes espionage laws that were put in place to counter the threat posed by German spies before and after World War I. … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Parts of New National…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-28
Article
United Kingdom: Treaty Signed with Italy and Japan Establishing Global Combat Air Program
On December 14, 2023, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Italy, and Japan signed a treaty establishing a global combat air program (GCAP) international government organization. The GCAP intends to design and develop a stealth fighter with supersonic capability and state-of-the-art technology, including a radar that provides 10,000 times more data than is available with current systems, … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Treaty Signed with Italy…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-25
Article
United Kingdom: Government Takes Steps to Cut Net Migration
The home secretary of the United Kingdom (U.K.) made a statement before Parliament on December 4, 2023, that the government will introduce measures to cut migration levels and reduce abuses of the immigration system. The measures will meet the commitment made in the 2019 Conservative Party election manifesto and are intended to “deliver[ ] the biggest … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Government Takes Steps…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-24
Article
Scotland: Court Upholds UK Government Order to Block Gender Recognition Bill from Becoming Law
On December 8, 2023, the Court of Session in Scotland issued an opinion refusing a petition for judicial review of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill (Prohibition on Submission for Royal Assent) Order 2023 and upholding the order, which blocks the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill by prohibiting it from being submitted to receive royal … Continue reading “Scotland: Court Upholds UK Government Order…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-23
Article
United Kingdom: Competition and Markets Authority Obtains Commitment from Amazon over Use of Third-Party Seller Information
On November 3, 2023, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), an independent nonministerial government department responsible for competition and consumer protection in the United Kingdom (U.K.), published a decision, made under section 31A of the Competition Act 1998, that it had accepted binding commitments from Amazon regarding several of its marketing practices. The commitments cover … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Competition and Markets Authority…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-18
Article
United Kingdom: Minimum Wage to Be Increased
On October 2, 2023, following recommendations from the previous March from the Low Pay Commission — an independent public body responsible for advising the government on national minimum wage and national living wage rates — the chancellor of the exchequer announced the largest increase in the national living wage in the United Kingdom (U.K.) in … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Minimum Wage to Be…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-15
Article
United Kingdom: Competition and Markets Authority Accepts Meta Commitments to Allow Advertisers to Opt Out from Sharing Data
On November 3, 2023, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), an independent nonministerial government department responsible for competition and consumer protection in the United Kingdom (U.K.), published a decision that it had accepted binding commitments from Meta in response to an investigation it had conducted into the corporation. The investigation concerned Meta’s abuse of its … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Competition and Markets Authority…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-11
Article
United Kingdom: Government Reviewing Regulatory Framework Governing Pornography
On December 1, 2023, the government of the United Kingdom (U.K.) announced that it had appointed Baroness Bertin to conduct a review of pornography legislation, regulation, and law enforcement in the country. The review will consider many aspects of pornography to ensure there “is an effective regulatory, criminal justice system and law enforcement response to … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Government Reviewing Regulatory Framework…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2024-01-10
Article
United Kingdom: Private Member Bill to Ban Conversion Therapy Introduced
On November 20, 2023, the Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill was introduced in the House of Lords as a private members’ bill. If enacted, the bill would ban conversion therapy across the entirety of the United Kingdom (U.K.), and anyone found guilty of conducting the therapy would commit an offense.The bill … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Private Member Bill to…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2023-12-21
Article
United Kingdom: Government Increases Enforcement Targeting Unlawful Immigrants Working in Food Delivery Services
On November 14, 2023, the government of the United Kingdom (U.K.) sent a letter to and met with executives of food delivery companies Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat highlighting concerns over the use of unchecked account sharing on their platforms. The letter stated that heightened enforcement activity by immigration enforcement teams revealed high levels … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Government Increases Enforcement Targeting…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2023-12-11
Article
United Kingdom: King’s Speech Sets Out Government’s Legislative Agenda
On November 7, 2023, King Charles III delivered the King’s Speech at the state opening of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (U.K.), marking the formal start of the parliamentary year. The King’s Speech is prepared by the government and sets out the government’s legislative agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session. It outlines the proposed … Continue reading “United Kingdom: King’s Speech Sets Out…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2023-11-30
Article
United Kingdom: Supreme Court Rules Relocating Asylum Seekers to Rwanda Unlawful
On November 15, 2023. the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (U.K.) upheld a judgment from the Court of Appeal that the government’s policy seeking to remove to Rwanda asylum seekers whose claims are determined to be inadmissible and to have their claims heard by the Rwandan authorities was incompatible with the European Convention on … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Supreme Court Rules Relocating…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2023-11-28
Article
United Kingdom: UK Olympic Governing Body Prohibits Transgender Women from Competing Outside Their Biological Gender
On March 31, 2023, UK Athletics, the national governing body for Olympic athletics in the United Kingdom (U.K.), issued a principle statement in which it prohibited transgender women who underwent puberty as a male from competing in the female category of sports. The updated policy applies the recently updated World Athletics Eligibility Regulations for Transgender … Continue reading “United Kingdom: UK Olympic Governing Body…
Contributor:
Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
Date:2023-05-18
Article
United Kingdom: Immigration Bill Progresses to House of Lords
Due to a substantial increase in individuals attempting to enter the United Kingdom (U.K.) unlawfully via small boats, which is inherently dangerous, and concerns over gangs having an incentive to smuggle people into the country, the U.K. government introduced the Illegal Migration Bill in the House of Commons on March 7, 2023. The bill is … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Immigration Bill Progresses to…
