About Public Law
As a government lawyer your clients are experiencing various impacts on policy making from numerous and competing interests such as austerity, efficiency, collective/individual rights, European and devolved/delegated jurisdictions. Your job advising on legislation and risk of challenge through judicial review is increasingly time consuming and complex.
Brexit
With reform of retained EU law high on the agenda, post-Brexit legal changes remains a key issue. Get key information and updates for all practitioners, with practice area specific Brexit content across the modules.
Judicial Review
We outline the key principles and procedural requirements with a clear focus on the public sector perspective. The content focusses primarily on judicial review in the Administrative Court in England and Wales.
Public Procurement
Failure to stick to procedures can have significant legal, financial and practical consequences for a contracting authority. We guide you through various processes, focussing on the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
Expertise on all matters
An essential resource providing guidance & materials on core legal subjects relevant to lawyers in all areas of legal practice, as well as specialist content designed to assist government lawyers in a range of key areas
Topics We Cover
Latest Public Law News
The UK Parliament's Justice Committee has announced an upcoming evidence session with the Lady Chief Justice, Rt Hon Baroness Carr of...
The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments (JCSI) has published its sixth report of session 2024–2025. The following four...
Details of updates to HMRC import, export and customs guidance for the period from 19 to 25 November 2024...
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care between 9 July 2018 and 26 June 2021, Matt Hancock, gave evidence to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry on 21...
The Scottish Affairs Committee (SAC) has launched an inquiry into the financing of the Scottish Government within the UK framework. The investigation...
Latest Public Law Practice Notes
Military claimsThis Practice Note outlines the possible avenues for a personal injury claim by injured service personnel. It outlines claims under...
Changes to award criteria during a procurement procedureFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA...
Know-how—protection and licensingThis Practice Note explains what know-how is and sets out the different ways know-how can be protected before...
PFI/PF2—the Construction Sub-contractThis Practice Note examines the Construction Sub-contract between Project Co and the Construction Sub-contractor...
Key parties in a PFI/PF2 projectThis Practice Note looks at the key parties typically involved in a PFI or PF2 project. It considers the roles of...
Latest Public Law Precedents
Letter accompanying Invitation to tender—restricted procedureFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023...
Letter accompanying Invitation to participate in dialogue—competitive dialogue procedureFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the main provisions...
Invitation to participate in dialogue—competitive dialogue procedureFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement...
Letter accompanying Invitation to tender—competitive procedure with negotiationFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the...
Invitation to tender―competitive procedure with negotiationFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023...
Latest Public Law Q&As
Featured Public Law content
Methods of statutory interpretation used to resolve disputes about the meaning of legislation
Methods of statutory interpretation used to resolve disputes about the meaning of legislationIntroduction to statutory interpretationThe aim of...
Sources of constitutional law
Sources of constitutional lawIn briefThe British constitution is unwritten in the sense that it does not derive from a single constitutional text. It...
Direct effect of EU law
Direct effect of EU lawWhat is direct effect of EU law?The doctrine of direct effect is a fundamental principle of EU law developed by the Court of...
Convention rights—structure of qualified rights
Convention rights—structure of qualified rightsThe rights preserved under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), as set out in the Human...
Separation of powers—legislative, executive and judiciary
Separation of powers—legislative, executive and judiciarySource of the doctrine of the separation of powersThe origins of the doctrine of the...
What is a public authority?
What is a public authority?There is no single, universal answer to the question whether a particular organisation is treated, in law, as a public...
Structure and functions of EU institutions and bodies
Structure and functions of EU institutions and bodiesThe EU’s unique institutional frameworkThe European Union is a supranational polity, and is...
Harmonisation
HarmonisationDefinitionHarmonisation, also known as standardisation or approximation, refers to the determination of EU-wide legally binding standards...
What is fettering of discretion in judicial review? When is it an actionable ground of challenge and what must be established for a challenge to succeed?
The status of EU law in the UK after Brexit [Archived]
The status of EU law in the UK after Brexit [Archived]ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained.This Practice Note provides...
Indirect effect of EU law
Indirect effect of EU lawWhat is indirect effect of EU law?The doctrine of indirect effect, or consistent interpretation, is a duty that national...
What is Wednesbury unreasonableness?
Parliamentary supremacy—implied repeal
Parliamentary supremacy—implied repealEssential to Parliament’s legislative supremacy is the principle that Parliament is not bound by its...
The executive and the civil service
The executive and the civil serviceWhat is a civil servant?A civil servant is any permanent, non-political employee of central government—servants of...
What is the EU infringement procedure under Article 258 TFEU and how can proceedings be monitored?
EU internal competence
EU internal competenceThe limits of EU competencesThe limits of EU competences are governed by the principle of conferral (also known as principle of...
Free movement of EU workers and citizens
Free movement of EU workers and citizensEU workers and EU citizens enjoy the right of freedom of movement. This right is granted to EU workers in...
The four freedoms—goods, services, establishment and capital
The four freedoms—goods, services, establishment and capitalFree movement of goodsRestriction on importsScope of the prohibitionArticle 34 of the...
Associated legal terms
Coordinated effects (mergers)
These may arise in both horizontal and non-horizontal mergers where the merger allows or enhances the ability of several firms (including the merged entity) jointly to increases prices where this creates or strengthens the conditions for tacit co-ordination between them.
Forward Plan
A document required to be prepared by the council's executive leader or equivalent containing details of all matters likely to be the subject of key decisions in the relevant authority for the next four months (see Regulation 13 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/3272).
National television standards committee
A television industry group that develops standards for television broadcasting and receiving equipment in the United States.
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