England and Wales Case Commentaries

Clarifying s.49 Solicitors Act Appeals: No Oral Renewal After Paper Refusal; SDT May Revoke Certification for Fundamental Mistake — Commentary on Hinkel v Gheissari & Anor [2025] EWCA Civ 1351

Date: Oct 28, 2025

Clarifying s.49 Solicitors Act Appeals: No Oral Renewal After Paper Refusal; SDT May Revoke Certification for Fundamental Mistake Case: Hinkel v Gheissari & Anor [2025] EWCA Civ 1351 (Court of...

Prerogative Policy-Making for Post–Data Breach Relocation Upheld: No Fettering, Rational Limitation to High‑Profile Roles

Date: Oct 28, 2025

Prerogative Policy-Making for Post–Data Breach Relocation Upheld: No Fettering, Rational Limitation to High‑Profile Roles Introduction In AFA & Ors, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for...

Police Gang Officers as Expert Witnesses and Youth Sentencing in Serious Gang Violence: Commentary on R v Edokpolo & Alexander [2025] EWCA Crim 1534

Date: Oct 25, 2025

Police Gang Officers as Expert Witnesses and Youth Sentencing in Serious Gang Violence: Commentary on R v Edokpolo & Alexander [2025] EWCA Crim 1534 1. Introduction This commentary examines the...

Position Marks Must Be a Single, Precisely Delineated Sign: Non‑limiting Descriptions Creating Indeterminate Variations Fail Registrability (Thom Browne Inc & Anor v Adidas AG [2025] EWCA Civ 1340)

Date: Oct 24, 2025

Position Marks Must Be a Single, Precisely Delineated Sign: Non‑limiting Descriptions Creating Indeterminate Variations Fail Registrability Case: Thom Browne Inc & Anor v Adidas AG [2025] EWCA Civ...

IRH is not a shortcut: Court of Appeal mandates necessary evidence, Article 6 fairness, and explicit welfare and contact analysis before making final care orders

Date: Oct 24, 2025

IRH is not a shortcut: Court of Appeal mandates necessary evidence, Article 6 fairness, and explicit welfare and contact analysis before making final care orders Case: H, Re (Final Care Orders at...

No AoS or CPR 11 application is required where service of the claim form was invalid and time has not been extended; “left for DX collection” is not service under CPR 7.5 — Bellway Homes Ltd v The Occupiers of Samuel Garside House [2025] EWCA Civ 1347

Date: Oct 24, 2025

No AoS or CPR 11 application is required where service of the claim form was invalid and time has not been extended; “left for DX collection” is not service under CPR 7.5 Commentary on Bellway Homes...

Figurative Trade Marks: Where the Picture and Description Align, the Image Defines the Sign — Independence of the Sieckmann Conditions Reaffirmed

Date: Oct 24, 2025

Figurative Trade Marks: Where the Picture and Description Align, the Image Defines the Sign — Independence of the Sieckmann Conditions Reaffirmed Introduction In Babek International Ltd v Iceland...

R v Demiraj [2025] EWCA Crim 1468: The Jury’s Role, “Truth”, and Hearsay-Based Convictions

Date: Oct 24, 2025

R v Demiraj [2025] EWCA Crim 1468: The Jury’s Role, “Truth”, and Hearsay-Based Convictions 1. Introduction R v Demiraj [2025] EWCA Crim 1468 is an important Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)...

R v Madaweni [2025] EWCA Crim 1427: Fresh psychiatric evidence on appeal—diminished responsibility requires a causal explanation; mental disorder may still mitigate on sentence

Date: Oct 24, 2025

R v Madaweni [2025] EWCA Crim 1427: Fresh psychiatric evidence on appeal—diminished responsibility requires a causal explanation; mental disorder may still mitigate on sentence Court: England and...

Abduction in Sexual Assault Sentencing and the Near‑Mandatory Use of Pre‑Sentence Reports in Dangerousness Assessments: Commentary on R v Thompson [2025] EWCA Crim 1462

Date: Oct 24, 2025

Abduction in Sexual Assault Sentencing and the Near‑Mandatory Use of Pre‑Sentence Reports in Dangerousness Assessments: Commentary on R v Thompson [2025] EWCA Crim 1462 1. Introduction The decision...

Reflecting Multiple Child Victims and Future Risk in Sexual Sentencing: Commentary on R v Ellis [2025] EWCA Crim 1498

Date: Oct 24, 2025

Reflecting Multiple Child Victims and Future Risk in Sexual Sentencing: Commentary on R v Ellis [2025] EWCA Crim 1498 1. Introduction This commentary examines the decision of the Court of Appeal...

R v WCU [2025] EWCA Crim 1414: Reaffirming the “exceptional” threshold for 30+ year sentences, tightening late guilty plea credit, and correcting the use of Special Custodial Sentences alongside Extended Sentences

Date: Oct 23, 2025

R v WCU [2025] EWCA Crim 1414: Reaffirming the “exceptional” threshold for 30+ year sentences, tightening late guilty plea credit, and correcting the use of Special Custodial Sentences alongside...

CPR 52.19 costs caps refused where service-charge recoupment would shift unrecovered appeal costs onto non‑appellant leaseholders

Date: Oct 22, 2025

CPR 52.19 costs caps refused where service-charge recoupment would shift unrecovered appeal costs onto non‑appellant leaseholders Introduction This commentary examines the England and Wales Court of...

School Exclusions: Governors’ Policy and DfE Guidance Set the Legal Test; Behaviour Policies Cannot Elevate the Threshold — Immaterial Errors and High‑Intensity Review Clarified in SAG v Governing Body of Winchmore School [2025] EWCA Civ 1335

Date: Oct 22, 2025

School Exclusions: Governors’ Policy and DfE Guidance Set the Legal Test; Behaviour Policies Cannot Elevate the Threshold — Immaterial Errors and High‑Intensity Review Clarified Case: SAG, R (On the...

Onuzi v SSHD: FTT’s role under s 40(3) confirmed as public-law review of causation; prolonged identity deception ordinarily material to naturalisation

Date: Oct 22, 2025

Onuzi v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 1337: FTT’s role under s 40(3) confirmed as public-law review of causation; prolonged identity deception ordinarily material to...

Automatic cessation of the main homelessness duty on acceptance of a Part VI offer; section 184 does not govern discharge decisions; challenges must run through the Part VII review/appeal scheme

Date: Oct 22, 2025

Automatic cessation of the main homelessness duty on acceptance of a Part VI offer; section 184 does not govern discharge decisions; challenges must run through the Part VII review/appeal scheme...

JK [2025] EWCA Civ 1309 — Local authorities may use the parens patriae jurisdiction to secure a British child’s return from a non‑Contracting State notwithstanding an intention to issue care proceedings (Re M “sufficiently compelling” test affirmed; FLA 1986 largely irrelevant)

Date: Oct 22, 2025

JK [2025] EWCA Civ 1309: Local authorities can secure a British child’s return under the inherent jurisdiction even where care proceedings are intended; Family Law Act 1986 largely irrelevant to...

Late Quantum-Phase Amendments and Litigation Holds: The Court of Appeal’s Four‑Stage Prejudice Analysis in ENRC v Dechert & SFO

Date: Oct 22, 2025

Late Quantum-Phase Amendments and Litigation Holds: The Court of Appeal’s Four‑Stage Prejudice Analysis in ENRC v Dechert & SFO Introduction This commentary examines the Court of Appeal’s judgment in...

Bradley v Abacus: Court of Appeal confines s.27A review to the “no reasonable landlord” test and clarifies the two‑stage allocation of service charge items

Date: Oct 22, 2025

Bradley v Abacus: Court of Appeal confines s.27A review to the “no reasonable landlord” test and clarifies the two‑stage allocation of service charge items Introduction This Court of Appeal decision...

Blake & Ors v Fox: Court of Appeal reasserts Dingle for serious-harm causation, adopts “material contribution” for specific losses, and clarifies mitigation and media republication in libel

Date: Oct 22, 2025

Blake & Ors v Fox: Court of Appeal reasserts Dingle for serious-harm causation, adopts “material contribution” for specific losses, and clarifies mitigation and media republication in libel...