Law360: The Labour Party's electoral victory on 4 July 2024 will usher in the biggest employment law reform in a generation, lawyers say—but some policies might not have as much impact or be implemented as quickly as intimated.

Laches is an equitable defence arguing that a claimant has delayed unreasonably in enforcing a right and that this delay makes it unjust to grant the remedy sought. In practice, it allows a defendant to resist equitable relief (such as an injunction, specific performance or rescission) where the claimant’s undue delay has caused prejudice or changed circumstances.Laches is developed and explained primarily through case law rather than statute. Courts typically consider (1) the length of the delay, (2) the reasons for it, and (3) whether the defendant or third parties have suffered detriment, for example through reliance, loss of evidence, or altered position.In England and Wales and Northern Ireland, laches operates within the wider law of equity alongside statutory limitation periods; it may bar equitable relief even where a claim is issued within the limitation period. In Ireland, the doctrine is similarly recognised in equitable proceedings, particularly in property, trust, and contract disputes. Scotland does not use the terminology of laches, but analogous concepts exist through mora, taciturnity and acquiescence, which can bar claims where there has been unreasonable delay and apparent acceptance of the status quo.

Pensions analysis: In the determination of Mr N (CAS-49148-R5W6), the Pensions Ombudsman has upheld a complaint about an incorrectly calculated transfer value which involved the underpayment of Mr N’s share of funds to another scheme. The trustees had a joint responsibility to ensure that the correct benefits were paid. The Ombudsman directed the trustees to rectify the situation by authorising the payment of the underpaid amount, together with interest, despite the repeated failure on the part of the trustees to reach the unanimous consent required to do so under the scheme’s rules. Martin Scott of gunnercooke LLP looks at the decision.

CASE HUB ARCHIVED–this archived case hub reflects the position at the date of the decision of 26 July 2016; it is no longer maintained. See further, timeline, commentary and related cases. Case facts Outline UK merger investigation into the anticipated merger between Ladbrokes plc and certain businesses of Gala Coral Group Limited. The transaction involves horizontal overlaps in markets for licensed betting offices (LBOs). Latest developments On 26 July 2016, the CMA issued its final report and cleared the transaction subject to remedies. In relation to LBOs, the CMA has concluded that the transaction may be expected to result in a SLC in 642 local markets in Great Britain for the supply of gambling products in LBOs and also the market for the supply of gambling products in Great Britain (as a result of the aggregated loss of competition at the local level). To remedy these concerns, the CMA has decided that the parties must divest 350 to 400 LBOs to one or more suitably qualified up-front buyers, which must be approved by the CMA; as many of the local markets

The Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, Baroness Carr, has delivered her annual press conference, outlining judicial priorities and commenting on recent legislative developments. She confirmed that the publication of First-tier Tribunal determinations remains a development she would be keen to see, acknowledging that progress has been slower than anticipated due to the complexity of implementation. She also raised concerns about increasing levels of harassment directed at judges on social media. Addressing government proposals to replace the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber with a new adjudicator body, she stated that the judiciary has not been provided with detailed plans, timelines or proposals, and emphasised that such information is necessary to assess the human and professional implications for judges.

The Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, and Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy, have announced plans to establish a new Business and Property Division (BPD) in the High Court. The BPD will replace the Chancery Division, consolidating all Business and Property Courts currently spread across the King’s Bench and Chancery Divisions—under a single divisional structure alongside the King’s Bench and Family Divisions. The reforms aim to: (1) improve clarity for court users on where to bring their cases; (2) strengthen the international reputation of the Business and Property Courts; (3) simplify governance arrangements for business and property work within the High Court and (4) support flexible judicial deployment. Individual courts and lists will retain their existing jurisdictions, identities and areas of expertise. The Chancellor of the High Court, Lord Justice Colin Birss, will serve as President of the BPD. Subject to an Order in Council, the new division is intended to be established early in the 2026–27 legal year.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary has announced that the Lady Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor will co-chair a new Judicial and Legal Diversity Board. The board builds on ongoing work under the five-year Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy launched in January 2026. The Board held its first meeting on 21 May. It brings together organisations from across the legal sector, including the Judicial Appointments Commission, the Bar Council, the Law Society,  the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, the Legal Services Board, the Judicial Office and the Ministry of Justice.

The Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales has announced that Mrs Justice Mary Stacey will succeed Mr Justice Griffiths as Presiding Judge of Wales from January 2026. The judiciary has reached a historic agreement with the Judicial Appointments Commission to establish improved procedures for identifying and appointing judges who are either proficient in Welsh or have conversational Welsh to be trained after appointment. Key developments in Welsh tribunals include pay parity between Welsh and HMCTS-governed tribunals, inclusion in the ongoing Senior Salaries Review Body Major Review, and appointment of a Training Lead Judge for Welsh-specific training. However, necessary legislation for a unified tribunal structure was not included in the Welsh Government's legislative programme. The Lady Chief Justice acknowledged an oversight regarding the Welsh Language Impact Assessment for the Local Justice Areas consultation and confirmed that Welsh translators in Courts of Wales received their first pay rise in 20 years. Wales continues to outperform nationally, disposing of more Crown Court cases than received and processing over 94% of civil and family work within five days of receipt.

The Lady Chief Justice, the Baroness Carr of Walton‑on‑the‑Hill, appeared before the Senedd’s Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, representing the first time a Chief Justice has given evidence to a Senedd committee. During the session, the Chief Justice discussed a wide range of issues affecting the justice system in Wales, including access to justice, court estate matters, performance and backlogs in Wales and collaboration between the judiciary and HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Wales. She also highlighted several judicial innovations piloted in Wales, including: (1) the rollout of Pathfinder courts across Wales, which have transformed family court engagement with parents into a problem-solving model based on early accounts of the voice of the child; (2) the expansion of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in North Wales; (3) the women-focused problem-solving court at Swansea magistrates’ court and (4) the police witness live-links pilot at Merthyr Tydfil magistrates’ court.

The Lady Chief Justice, Lady Carr, has delivered the keynote address at this year’s London International Disputes Week. Lady Carr’s speech focused on two main themes including how to combine different forms of dispute resolution effectively and how to unite different forums to learn from each other, to help improve the delivery of dispute resolution. The keynote address took place on 4 June 2024.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary has published the transcript of its annual press conference held on 17 March 2026, inclusive of the speech delivered by the Lady Chief Justice, the Right Honourable the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, at that conference. She reflected on her first three years in post, acknowledging that courts and tribunals continued to face sustained pressure, heavy workloads and increasingly complex cases. The Lady Chief Justice highlighted ongoing change, including three reviews and forthcoming retirements of senior judicial leaders, and restated her priorities: recognising and promoting judicial strengths, building judicial unity and reducing backlogs while improving timeliness. She noted progress under the Courts and Victims Bill and welcomed the move to uncapped sitting days in the Crown Court. Looking ahead, she outlined continued modernisation efforts, including the development of a national listing framework and an AI-based listing tool and announced a new leadership team scheduled to take office in October 2026.

The Lady Chief Justice has issued the Fourth Amendment to the Criminal Practice Directions 2023, which comes into force on 18 November 2025. The amendment introduces new provisions requiring court permission for anyone to be accompanied by an animal other than an assistance dog in courtrooms or when participating in trials remotely. It also implements significant changes to expert evidence requirements, mandating disclosure of any material advice or warnings issued by professional or regulatory bodies, including the Forensic Science Regulator, and requiring disclosure of past adverse findings or disciplinary proceedings even if subsequently resolved. The amendment updates compliance declarations to ensure compatibility between the Criminal Practice Directions and the Forensic Science Regulator's statutory code of practice, with different declaration requirements depending on whether experts are subject to the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021 code. These changes follow consultation by the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee with expert witnesses subject to the Regulator's code.