‘The dispute arose from a (solvent) members’ voluntary liquidation of three venture capital trust companies (the Core VCT companies). In March 2015, Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP entered into letters of engagement with the directors of these companies. These letters contemplated the appointment of Mark Fry and Neil Mather as joint liquidators and contained standard terms of business including a £1m aggregate liability cap.’

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Gstehouse Chambers, 1st January 2026

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

‘New powers allowing mobile phones to be seized from illegal migrants without arresting them have come into force.’

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BBC News, 4th January 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Three teenagers who posed for selfies after killing a 51-year-old homeless man outside King’s Cross station have been sentenced to a combined 23 years in prison.’

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The Independent, 5th January 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Leaky courts, broken heating and a backlog of more than 79,000 criminal cases in England and Wales paint a picture of a criminal justice system in crisis. With some victims and defendants waiting years for their cases to reach trial, what is it like for those working in the legal system – and how much more can they take?’

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BBC News, 4th January 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Join the Law Pod team as we discuss a range of cases decided at all levels in the courts in 2025 with important implications for the future.’

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Law Pod UK, 23 December 2025

Source: audioboom.com

‘Junk food adverts are banned on television and online starting on Monday as part of a drive to tackle childhood obesity.’

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BBC News, 4th January 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Inner Temple Library will be closed until 5 January 2026, after which we resume posting. See you in the new year!

‘Perceived credibility is of key importance in refugee status decisions (RSD). The emotional demeanour of an asylum seeker and the decision-maker’s affect may inform credibility judgements throughout the RSD process. However, research exploring these factors in an asylum-seeking context is sparse. This study examined whether emotions perceived in an asylum seeker impacted credibility decisions. The role of decision-makers’ own emotional reactions (affect) on credibility decisions was also examined. Participants (N = 128) acting as asylum decision-makers watched a mock interview where an asylum seeker either displayed behaviours indicative of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or not indicative of PTSD. Ratings of the asylum seeker’s credibility, the emotions displayed and the decision-maker’s affect were obtained alongside thematic analysis of open-ended responses. We found an emotional congruence effect; credibility ratings were higher when an asylum seeker ‘with PTSD’ showed behaviours indicating fear/distress. A novel finding was an affect heuristic driving judgements. Participants’ self-reported feelings of anger, sadness, disgust and compassion were associated with higher credibility ratings of the asylum seeker, whereas self-reporting no emotion was associated with lower ratings. Findings suggest that decision-maker affect may influence asylum credibility decisions.’

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Psychology, Crime and Law, 5th December 2025

Source: www.tandfonline.com

Mental Health Act 2025

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

‘A Covid denier from south London has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison after urging people to stage an armed revolt during the pandemic.’

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BBC News, 18th December 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

‘The Court of Appeal has rejected a barrister’s claim that LGBT charity Stonewall “caused or induced” discrimination against her by her chambers.’

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Legal Futures, 19th December 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Companies which reclaimed VAT on professional fees may have to rethink their options following the final round of a long-running UK court challenge, according to experts.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 18th December 2025

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

‘A healthcare support worker has been jailed for nine years for sex assaults on two hospital patients.’

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BBC News, 18th December 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘When the government announces a ‘crackdown’ or some new tough policy on immigration or asylum, it is important to recognise that what this means (at most) is that migrants will be treated in accordance with the new policy unless their Convention rights require that they are treated otherwise; at most, since often when the policy is implemented there will be an explicit exemption for some groups, such as people entitled to disability benefit or the elderly. Naturally, ministers prefer not to spell this out, but it is unfortunate that 25 years after the introduction of the Human Rights Act that so many commentators, as recently shown in the response to the plans to reform aspects of the asylum system, seem unaware of (or for strategic reasons prefer not to make) this essential point.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 19th December 2025

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

‘Complex court administrative processes “increasingly function as gatekeepers to justice” and shut out litigants in person (LiPs), research has found.’

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Legal Futures, 19th December 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Space Industry (Indemnities) Act 2025

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

‘A man left his “best friend” to die alone on his kitchen floor after launching a fatal alcohol and cocaine-fuelled attack on him, a court has heard.’

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BBC News, 18th December 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk