On 21 February 2024, the Home Secretary, Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, published a written statement confirming the termination of appointment of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, David Neal. Neal’s appointment was due to end on 21 March 2024 but was terminated after he ‘breached the terms of appointment’ and ‘lost the confidence’ of Cleverly. Cleverly further confirms that the recruitment process for the next Chief Inspector is in progress, and that the Home Office is committed to publishing the reports submitted by Mr Neal together with responses.

On Monday 22 July 2024 the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, made a Ministerial Statement in the House of Commons. She outlined criticisms of the previous government in respect of asylum, referring to the 19 people who have died this year crossing the channel, the seven fold increase in the expenditure on asylum support in the last three years and the lack of intelligence sharing with Europe. She stated that she has ended the Migration and Economic Development Partnership agreement with Rwanda, is recruiting for a new leader of a Border Security Command role, is seeking to re-engage with intelligence sharing with European institutions like Europol, is redeploying staff to work on enforcement and returns, including by raiding workplaces to check for illegal workers over the summer. She is laying a statutory instrument to allow asylum decisions makers to process asylum claims that have so far been on hold out of concern they may fall within the Illegal Migration Act's inadmissibility process and the intention is for that act to be replaced with new legislation (as announced in the King's Speech recently).

The Home Office has published the opening speech delivered by the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, at the second reading of the Immigration and Asylum Bill. The speech explains some of the details for the proposed replacement of the First-tier Tribunal with an Independent Immigration Appeals Authority (IIAA) confirming the intention is to retain a small number of legally qualified judges. It also discusses the intention behind the introduction of a single appeal route, expedited consideration of late claims and the consolidation of refugee status and humanitarian protection into a single ‘core protection model’. The Home Secretary said the measures are intended to reduce delays while preserving fair consideration of protection claims and onward judicial scrutiny on points of law.

Law360: Devastating storms that swept through the UK in 2023 drove up weather-related insurance claims by more than a third, hitting a record of almost £573m, the trade body for the sector said on 15 April 2024.

Corporate Crime analysis: The Crown Court clarified two important concepts in the Russia sanctions regime: when luxury goods are ‘made available’ and how ‘ordinary residence’ should be determined. It held that goods are made available when they are placed under the practical control of a recipient or those acting on their behalf, rather than upon the mere transfer of legal title. The court also confirmed that ordinary residence is a fact-sensitive assessment focused on the settled pattern of an individual's life, with nationality and continuing connections being insufficient without evidence of ongoing residence. The decision provides significant guidance for sanctions compliance and customer due diligence. Written by Amelia Clegg of BCL Solicitors LLP.

Home office generally refers to a part of a dwelling used for business or professional work, rather than to the UK government department of the same name. In legal practice across England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, it is a descriptive term rather than a defined statutory concept, though it appears in tax, employment, planning and landlord and tenant contexts.Key legal issues include whether the home office use constitutes a change of use requiring planning permission, whether leases or title conditions restrict business use of residential property, and whether a mortgage lender or insurer needs to consent. In employment law, home office arrangements may affect health and safety obligations, working time, data protection and the place of work under the contract of employment.For tax purposes, the existence of a home office may support claims for allowable expenses or capital allowances, while also raising potential capital gains tax or capital acquisitions tax consequences where part of a home is used exclusively for business. Usage and analysis are broadly consistent across the UK and Ireland, although the detailed statutory frameworks and guidance differ by jurisdiction.

The Home office has published the Global Talent visa evaluation Wave 2 report. The Global Talent visa route was introduced in 2020 and the Home Office commissioned Ipsos to conduct a research study with successful Global Talent visa holders. The Wave 2 report covers the second part of this research and looks at applicant's motivations, experiences, future intentions and reflections.

The Home Office has reported on hundreds of rogue employers across the UK that have been targeted during a nationwide week long intensive operation into illegal working. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced last month that the government would crack down on employers who are hiring migrants illegally and exploiting vulnerable people, alongside extensive work to disrupt the criminal networks who bring the workers to the UK.

Law360: The Home Office won an appeal on 30 May 2025 to withhold details about the national security concerns that prompted it to remove an immigration officer's security clearance, causing him to lose his job.

Common law—implied terms Reasonable care and skill Where a purchaser buys a house from a builder: • in the course of construction, or • who contracts to build it common law implies a term that the builder will do his work in a good and workmanlike manner. There is also a term implied that the builder will supply good and proper materials. Fit for human habitation Common law also implies a term that the house will be reasonably fit for human habitation. Liability extends to bad design, not just poor materials or workmanship. The Court of Appeal held that the term applied where a purchaser bought a house from a builder when it was complete apart from decorations, certain fittings and plastering in one room. Subject to the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (UCTA 1977), under which liability can only be excluded if reasonable, the implied terms can be displaced by the express terms of the contract. However, they will not be displaced simply because a house is built in accordance with agreed

Background to and scope of this flowchart A person who carries on a regulated activity in the UK by way of business, where there is no applicable exclusion or exemption, must be authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000). For more information on the implications of a person carrying on a regulated activity without authorisation, see Practice Note: The general prohibition and implications of its breach. For more information about what it means to carry on business in the UK, see Practice Notes: What does 'by way of business' mean? and Territorial scope of the general prohibition. For more information about exemptions and exclusions that may be applicable, see Practice Notes: Regulated activities—exempt persons and Exclusions and exemptions relating to the

The right of a spouse or civil partner to remain in the family home even after the breakdown of the marriage or civil partnership where the property is registered in the sole name of the other party.