UK in a Changing Europe has published academic analysis of the Home Secretary's November 2025 'Restoring Order and Control' policy, examining the proposed reforms. The analysis details plans to replace the current multi-layered appeals system with a single appeal process, where all grounds including asylum, humanitarian protection, human rights claims and new evidence must be raised simultaneously. A new Independent Appeals Body staffed by specially trained adjudicators will hear cases, with decisions intended to be final. The reforms will narrow Article 8 European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) family-life claims to cases involving minor children or dependent parents, restrict Article 3 ECHR health-based removal challenges, and reduce weight given to late modern slavery or trafficking claims. Appeals involving accommodation or foreign-national offenders will be expedited. The analysis notes the current system costs over £5bn annually and has a backlog of 51,000 asylum appeals with 54-week average waiting times, while 48% of First-tier Tribunal appeals succeed.

The UK Constitutional Law Association blog has published an academic post by Dr Richard Brant and Lauren Butler analysing Reform UK’s proposed ‘Operation Restoring Justice’ programme. The authors question the legal feasibility and constitutional implications of proposals to repeal the Human Rights Act, leave the European Convention on Human Rights and create a new duty to remove ‘illegal migrants’, highlighting likely friction with devolution settlements, the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and international norms.

State school in England operating under the Academies Act 2010 (AcA 2010) and regulated by a Funding Agreement with the Department for Education.

Following the launch by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of a new expert panel on neurodiversity in employment in January 2025, and publication by Acas of an independent research paper on Neurodiversity at work on 6 March 2025, Acas has announced the launch of a new campaign to improve understanding and support for neurodivergent workers.

Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) is a publicly-funded independent organisation which promotes good employment relations and assists employers and employees in preventing or resolving employment disputes. Its services include conciliation, mediation and arbitration. Acas conciliation involves an independent Acas conciliation officer (also known as a conciliator) discussing the issues in dispute with both parties in order to help them reach a better understanding of each other's position. The conciliation officer tries to encourage the parties in dispute to come to an agreement between themselves so as to avoid the need for a tribunal hearing. An agreement reached following conciliation under the auspices of an Acas conciliation officer (known as a COT3 agreement) is one of the two exceptions to the 'contracting out provisions' which apply to most employment protection legislation, which impose a basic rule that any provision in an agreement that purports to prevent a person from making, or proceeding with, a claim to an employment tribunal is void to that extent. The purpose of the contracting out provisions is to protect claimants (or potential

The Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (Acas Code) sets out minimum standards of reasonable behaviour for dealing with disciplinary and grievance situations in the workplace, and places obligations on both employees and employers to comply with its provisions. It is a statutory code (see: Key principles of the Acas Code below) that has an impact on a broad range of employment claims, and failure to follow the Acas Code can be taken into account when it comes to determining liability, and may have an impact on the award of compensation, in relevant cases. The non-statutory Acas guide on discipline and grievances at work (Acas guide) complements the Acas Code and provides good practice advice for dealing with discipline and grievances in the workplace. In the event of uncertainty regarding the interpretation of the Code, the Acas guide may be considered by tribunals. For further information, see Guidance to the Acas Code, below. This Practice Note explains the application of the Acas Code in employment tribunal proceedings, and its impact on outcome and

This Practice Note explains the effects of non-compliance with the provisions of the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. Employers and employees are obliged to comply with the principles of fairness set out in the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. The foreword to this Code of Practice additionally encourages employers and employees to seek to resolve disciplinary and grievance issues in the workplace, before resorting to the tribunals. Because this encouragement is found in the foreword of the Code of Practice rather than in its body, it is not a statutory requirement. Acas has also produced a guide to the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. This guidance has no statutory authority, but in the event of uncertainty regarding the Code of Practice itself, may be referred to by tribunals. Key principles A failure to observe any provision of a relevant Acas Code of Practice does not, on its own, give rise to liability. However, in the case of the Code

The Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (Acas Code) sets out minimum standards of reasonable behaviour for dealing with disciplinary and grievance situations in the workplace, and places obligations on both employees and employers to comply with its provisions. It is a statutory code that has an impact on a broad range of employment claims, and failure to follow the Acas Code can be taken into account when it comes to determining liability, and may have an impact on the award of compensation, in relevant cases. The non-statutory Acas guide on discipline and grievances at work (Acas guide) complements the Acas Code and provides good practice advice for dealing with discipline and grievances in the workplace. In the event of uncertainty regarding the interpretation of the Code, the Acas guide may be followed by tribunals. For further information on the Acas guide, see Practice Note: Acas disciplinary and grievance code—application—Guidance to the Acas Code. The Acas Code applies to any: • disciplinary situation, which includes dealing with misconduct or poor performance (see

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has published guidance on neonatal care leave ahead of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 (NC(LP)A 2023) taking effect on 6 April 2025. The NC(LP)A 2023 introduces up to 12 weeks of statutory leave and pay for eligible parents whose babies require neonatal care for at least seven consecutive days. The entitlement applies from day one of employment and must be taken within 68 weeks of birth. The guidance outlines eligibility criteria, notification requirements, managing leave, pay and rights during and after leave. The NC(LP)A 2023 covers all categories of parents including birth parents, partners, adoptive parents and intended parents in a surrogacy.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has launched a campaign promoting neurodiversity in the workplace. The campaign includes the existing Acas ‘Neurodiversity at work’, which has recently been updated, marketing materials and YouTube videos on what neurodiversity is and how employers can help support neurodiversity in the workplace.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has launched a consultation on a draft revised Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (draft Code). Alongside a greater emphasis on early and informal resolution of workplace concerns, the draft Code addresses areas not mentioned in the existing Code such as avoiding unlawful discrimination. It also expands on other areas such as mediation and the right to be accompanied. In addition to the content of the draft Code, the consultation seeks views on potential changes the right to be accompanied, the use of the term ‘employee’ over ‘worker’ and the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in disciplinary and grievance procedures. If approved by the Secretary of State following the consultation, the revised Code would replace the current version, which was last fully revised in 2009. The consultation closes at 11.59pm on 23 September 2026.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has launched a consultation on updates to its Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities to reflect new statutory rights introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025. The Employment Rights Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, introduces new statutory rights to time off for union equality representatives that mirror existing rights for union learning representatives. The Act also requires employers to provide 'accommodation and other facilities' to union representatives for their time off duties where requested and reasonable. The updated Code aims to provide guidance on good practice for relationships between employers and trade unions and will be taken into account by employment tribunals in relevant cases. The existing Code was last updated in 2010. The consultation runs for eight weeks and closes at 5pm on 17 March 2026.