An interim report from HM Treasury's Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner has identified £1.4bn in losses from ‘failed’ pandemic-era Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) contracts. According to a Treasury press release, £182m has been recovered to date, with some PPE suppliers referred to the National Crime Agency for suspected fraud. Of the remainder, £762m is considered unrecoverable due to over-ordering and delayed checks, while £468m remains potentially recoverable. The report attributes the majority of the losses to the purchase of surgical gowns, 52% of which were non-compliant with requirements. A second phase investigation into other pandemic spending programmes including furlough and bounce-back loans is under way. A final report is due at the end of the Commissioner’s term in December 2025.

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. This archived Practice Note introduced the key implications that property practitioners should consider in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, including the protections to assist tenants during this period introduced by the Coronavirus Act 2020 (CA 2020), the compulsory closure of premises and the impact on commercial leases, residential conveyancing, and the real estate finance market. It is not maintained and is for background information only. For guidance on the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022 (CR(C)A 2022), see Practice Note: Rent arrears recovery under the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022 [Archived]. See also Practice Note: Quick guide to landlord’s coronavirus (COVID-19) remedies [Archived]. This archived Practice Note also covered execution issues in property transactions, business rates, the impact on HM Land Registry, the procedure for possession claims, guidance notes that were issued about the operation of the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) (FTT) and the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) (UT) during the coronavirus outbreak, the impact of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA 2020)

Law360, London: Insurers are wrong to have deducted an estimated £1bn of taxpayer-funded furlough grants issued during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, representatives for policyholders argued before the UK Supreme Court on 11 February 2026 in a landmark case for business interruption claims.

Law360, London: Insurers have won the right to deduct the value of government financial support to businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from however much they can claim against their policies, as an appeals court handed down a landmark judgment on 21 February 2025.

Law360, London: The National Farmers Union (NFU) Mutual Insurance Society has argued that it does not owe a group of hospitality and farming businesses approximately £10.5m for alleged losses after coronavirus (COVID-19) took hold in Britain because their policies did not cover the pandemic.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) have released comprehensive guidelines to assist pharmaceutical companies in implementing Shortage Mitigation Plans (SMPs) and Shortage Prevention Plans (SPPs). These measures aim to address the escalating issue of medicine shortages across Europe, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly impacted patient care and treatment availability.

It is a somewhat underappreciated aspect to possession proceedings under CPR 55 that claims under that part do not have to be confined to possession. CPR PD 55A para 1.7 reads: ‘1.7 A claim which is not a possession claim may be brought under the procedure set out in Section I of Part 55 if it is started in the same claim form as a possession claim which, by virtue of rule 55.2(1) must be brought in accordance with that Section. (Rule 7.3 provides that a claimant may use a single claim form to start all claims which can be conveniently disposed of in the same proceedings).’ This

This Practice Note provides corporate crime practitioners with practical guidance and useful information on attending remote hearings in the criminal courts. It provides practical advice on advance preparations, technical matters and attending the remote hearing itself using live link platforms. This Practice Note should be read in conjunction with Practical tips for remote attendance at criminal hearings—checklist. The criminal courts in England and Wales have the power to allow a person to attend a hearing in the criminal courts remotely via live audio link or live video link. For information on when remote attendance may be granted and the procedure for the making, variation and revocation of live link directions, see Practice Note: Remote hearings in the criminal courts. Note that from 1 October 2026, the Lady Chief Justice's Live Links in Criminal Courts Guidance 2026 (Live Links Guidance) establishes a presumptive framework for remote attendance in the magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court. For more information, see Practice Note: Guidance for live links in the criminal courts. Attending

Law360, London: A racecourse business shuttered during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on 22 July 2025 lost its case that £2.5m insurance limits applied to every cancelled race, with a London court ruling that each event was not a separate point of loss.

Restructuring & Insolvency analysis: We look at the reforms to the insolvency law of China prompted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Written by Xiahong Chen, fellow of Bankruptcy Law and Enterprise Restructuring of Research Center of China University of Political Science and Law; Member of INSOL, INSOL Europe and ABI.

Law360, London: A group of insurers will challenge test-case litigation over business interruption insurance in connection with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at the Court of Appeal in London on 21 January 2025, a hearing that lawyers say could have a long-term impact on disputes over cover.

Law360, London: Wahaca has sued its insurer for allegedly failing to pay out for losses incurred when the Mexican-style restaurant chain was forced to close during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, becoming the latest hospitality business to take its insurer to court.