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
A round-up of key developments on State aid, first reported by the Lexis+ Competition team. This update covers the period 20–26 August 2025....
Details of updates to HMRC import, export and customs guidance for the period from 19 to 26 August 2025...
The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and Al-Haq have announced that they are seeking to appeal against the Administrative Court’s ruling in R...
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a public consultation on draft guidance covering the recognised legitimate interest basis for...
The Cabinet Office has published updated guidance on Payments Compliance Notices under the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023). The requirements for...
Latest Public Law Practice Notes
Plant variety rights and other plant-related IP protection—UKIntellectual property (IP) protection is available for plant-related inventions through...
Assigning intellectual property rightsLegislative frameworkThis Practice Note considers the assignment of IP rights. It covers the statutory...
IP rights and semiconductorsBackground to semiconductorsA semiconductor is essentially any material which has electrical conductivity and can thus...
How to protect your IPIP rights need to be defended and protected to retain their value. This Practice Note explains how to protect your IP. It...
Joint ownership of intellectual property rightsWhen parties collaborate on creative projects or research and development, complex questions arise...
Latest Public Law Precedents
Confidentiality agreement—mutualThis Agreement is made on [date]Parties1[insert name of party] [of [insert details ] OR a company incorporated in...
Confidentiality agreement—one-way—pro-discloserThis Agreement is made on [date]Parties1[Insert name of party][ of [insert details] OR a company...
Confidentiality agreement—one-way—pro-recipientThis Agreement is made on [date].Parties1[Insert name of party] [of [insert address] OR a company...
Variation agreementThis Agreement is made on [date]Parties1[insert name of party] [of OR a company incorporated in [England and Wales] under number...
Freedom of information—letter informing an applicant that information requested is being withheld because it is personal information...
Latest Public Law Q&As
Featured Public Law content
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...
Methods of statutory interpretation
Methods of statutory interpretation used to resolve disputes about the meaning of legislationIntroduction to statutory interpretationThe aim 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...
Judicial review—time limits and the pre-action protocol
Judicial review—time limits and the pre-action protocolWhen considering whether and how to bring a claim for judicial review, the first step is to...
Grounds of judicial review—unreasonableness
Grounds of judicial review—unreasonablenessThis Practice Note outlines the ground of judicial review usually known as unreasonableness or...
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?
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...
Grounds of judicial review—illegality
Grounds of judicial review—illegalityOverview of the illegality groundIllegality is the first of the grounds on judicial review set out by Lord...
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...
Grounds of judicial review—procedural impropriety
Grounds of judicial review—procedural improprietyProcedural impropriety as a ground of judicial review‘Procedural impropriety’ is the last of the...
Judicial review—interested parties and interveners
Judicial review—interested parties and intervenersInterested partiesIn the context of judicial review, an interested party is 'any person (other than...
Parliamentary supremacy—implied repeal
Parliamentary supremacy—implied repealEssential to Parliament’s legislative supremacy is the principle that Parliament is not bound by its...
What is the legal basis and effect of revoking UK legislation?
Grounds of judicial review—breach of legitimate expectation
Grounds of judicial review—breach of legitimate expectationThe ground of challenge based on legitimate expectations is designed to hold a public...
Royal Charters
Royal ChartersWhat is a Royal Charter?The term 'Royal Charter' has transformed over time. Originally, a Royal Charter was a procedure by which the...
Costs for judicial review—general principles
Costs for judicial review—general principlesGeneral rule on costs in judicial reviewThe general rule in relation to costs in judicial review, as in...
Judicial review—what it is and when it can be used
Judicial review—what it is and when it can be usedWhat is judicial review?Judicial review is a process by which the courts exercise a supervisory...
Judicial deference and the margin of appreciation
Judicial deference and the margin of appreciationJudicial deference is also known as the principle that 'respect is a central concept in judicial...
Associated legal terms
Lawburrows
A civil remedy in the form of caution or a deposit in security to ensure a person will keep the peace towards a person making a complaint.
Novelty
A patent will only be granted where the invention is new.
Registered Provider
Registered social landlord/housing association. The Regulator of Social Housing manages the statutory register of social housing providers (the register) which lists private (non-profit and profit-making) providers and local authority providers.
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