Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, has commissioned an independent review of the Windsor Framework, led by Lord Murphy of Torfaen, with the report due by 10 July 2025. Established in February 2023 to amend the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and avoid a hard border, the Framework is being examined to determine how it can operate with the support of all communities in Northern Ireland. This commission follows a 10 December 2024 vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly, which supported the continued application of EU law under the Framework without cross-community consent, thereby triggering a statutory requirement for review.

The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on the voting age, following the announcement of plans to reduce the voting age to 16 for all elections in the UK.  This briefing details the current voting age for UK elections and considers the debate about lowering the voting age.

The House of Commons Library has published guidance explaining the Freedom of Information (FOI) framework in the UK. The guide outlines how the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA 2000) operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with separate provisions for Scotland under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA 2002). It details the role of the Information Commissioner's Office in oversight, explains which public authorities are subject to FOI requests and sets out the grounds for refusing requests including cost limitations, repeated requests and various statutory exemptions. The guidance includes practical templates and complaint procedures for practitioners.

The House of Commons Library has published a report examining the legal mechanisms used to implement Coronavirus (COVID–19) restrictions in the UK. The report details how authorities employed both ‘hard law’ measures through criminal sanctions under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (PH (CD)A 1984) and ‘soft law’ guidance. It highlights challenges in implementation, including confusion between mandatory rules and advisory guidance and enforcement difficulties.

The House of Commons Library has published an updated research briefing that maps the main elements of the UK's uncodified constitution. The document synthesises constitutional sources including legislation, royal prerogative, case law and conventions into a single reference resource. Drawing on the Supreme Court's Miller II judgment, it confirms the UK's possession of a constitution established through common law, statutes, conventions and practice. The updated briefing aims to serve as a navigational aid for constitutional information and will be updated regularly to reflect constitutional developments.

The House of Commons Procedure Committee has published its report into its scrutiny of Secretaries of State in the House of Lords. The Committee has recommended that the House of Commons change its practice so that the Foreign Secretary can be scrutinised by MPs. The Committee noted that proposals for greater scrutiny ought to 'respect the democratic primacy of the Commons' and should not change existing procedures but should be complementary. The Committee stated that its recommendations are time-limited and aimed at addressing a current issue and should not set a precedent. The Committee published an analysis of responses to its survey and has said that 88.5% of the 131 MPs that responded agreed that Secretaries of State should be directly accountable to the House of Commons.

The Commons Select Committee on Statutory Instruments (SCSI) has reported 2 statutory instruments in its 2nd report of session 2026–27.

The House of Commons Library has published a research briefing on the government’s use of powers under the British Nationality Act 1981 (BNA 1981) to take away a person’s British citizenship and passport. The briefing considers the reasons that someone may have their citizenship withdrawn, the requirements for written notice to be issued and the rights of appeal, the increased use of governmental powers under BNA 1981 between 2010 to 2021, and the tests required for use of the powers.

MPs have agreed that sifting of post-Brexit statutory instruments in the House of Commons will in future be carried out by departmental select committees within their policy areas. This follows the dissolution of the European Statutory Instruments Committee (ESIC) last year. The change to Commons Standing Orders affects sifting under both the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.

The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on the risk-based exclusion policy for MPs under investigation for sexual or violent offences, implemented by Standing Order No 164. The briefing covers the background and review of the policy, agreed on 13 May 2024, which mandates a risk assessment by a speaker-appointed panel when an MP is arrested on suspicion of such offences. Potential risk mitigation measures include exclusion from the parliamentary estate and funded travel, with excluded MPs eligible to apply for a proxy vote.

Comms Council UK (CCUK) has announced a collaborative initiative with the National Trading Standards Scams Team to enhance fraud detection and prevention in the telecommunications sector. The partnership enables CCUK members to share information on fraudulent behaviour more efficiently within the organisation and with relevant industry stakeholders. Members can report potential misuse to the National Trading Standards Scams Team, who will combine this data with existing intelligence to build patterns and profiles of criminal activity. This initiative aims to significantly reduce fraudulent activity in the telecoms sector and rebuild trust in telephone communications. The scheme is open to all CCUK members and complements existing efforts by government, regulators and law enforcement bodies. Additionally, CCUK will host its inaugural Fraud Summit on 5th March 2025 in London, bringing together representatives from various sectors to share insights on tackling fraud effectively.

This Practice Note considers when a party or their legal representative is permitted to communicate directly with the court pursuant to CPR 39.8, and on what terms. It also considers the filing of documents with the court, including by email. What are the rules regarding parties communicating with the court pursuant to CPR 39.8? CPR 39.8(1) provides that any communications between a party and the court on matters of substance or procedure must be disclosed to, and if in writing (whether paper or electronic), copied to the other party/parties or their representatives, unless: • there is a compelling reason for not doing so, and the reason is stated in the communication (CPR 39.8(3)), or • another rule or practice direction permits this (CPR 39.8(7)) If a party does not comply with this rule, the court can impose sanctions or otherwise exercise its case management powers under CPR 3 (CPR 39.8(6)). For information on the court’s general case management powers under CPR 3, see Practice Note: Case management of civil claims under the CPR. Any