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
Our Public Law Experts
Beth Pipe
Charles Brasted
Andrea Biondi
Peter Ware
Brendan Ryan
Latest Public Law News
The Right Honourable Lord Justice James Dingemans, Senior President of Tribunals, has published his 2025 annual report, setting out priorities for...
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said that a new edition of Statutory Instrument Practice (SIP) is in progress. SIP is the...
The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments (JCSI) has published its 44th report of Session 2024–26. Following its meeting on 14 January 2026, the...
The UK Supreme Court has announced that its President, Lord Reed of Allermuir, will retire on 10 January 2027, creating a vacancy for which the Lord...
This week's edition of Public Law weekly highlights includes a hand-picked summary of news analysis, legal updates and case law from the world of...
Latest Public Law Practice Notes
EU public procurement case trackerThe EU public procurement case tracker records and summarises the most recent European case law developments...
Drafting technical specifications for use in public procurement procedures—pre-PA 2023This practical guidance relates to the pre-Procurement Act 2023...
The role of the Pensions Regulator in respect of public sector schemesThe Pensions Regulator (also known as TPR) is the statutory body that regulates...
Court of Justice State aid national references—ongoing cases trackerThe table below lists national references to the Court of Justice concerning the...
UK subsidy control—ongoing cases trackerBackgroundOn 4 January 2023, the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (SCA 2022) entered into force. For further details...
Latest Public Law Precedents
Invitation to participate in dialogue—competitive dialogue procedure—pre-PA 2023 [Archived]ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not...
Invitation to tender―competitive procedure with negotiation—pre-PA 2023 [Archived]ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not...
Market sounding questionnaire—pre-PA 2023 [Archived]ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.STOP PRESS: As of 24 February...
Invitation to tender―restricted procedure—pre-PA 2023 [Archived]ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.STOP PRESS: As of 24...
Novation agreement—long formThis Agreement is made on [date]Parties1[insert name of party] [of OR a company incorporated in [England and Wales] under...
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
Financial order
An order made in family proceedings for financial provision for a spouse, civil partner (or former spouse or civil partner) or child.
Master trust
Occupational pension scheme (other than a public service pension scheme) used, or intended to be used, by unconnected employers to provide pension benefits to their respective members.
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Secretary of State overseeing the Insolvency Service, part of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.
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