The Law Society, in its weekly update on the latest developments and debates in Parliament, has provided an update on the Renters’ Rights Bill’s second reading debate in the House of Commons on 9 October 2024. Members from all parties expressed support for the new landlord database to be established once the Bill is passed. The Minister for Housing, Matthew Pennycook, emphasised that the government would ensure HM Courts and Tribunals Service is prepared for the implementation of the new system. However, he clarified that transforming the private rented sector would not be contingent on an unspecified degree of future court improvements. The Bill passed second reading and will now proceed to the committee stage in the coming month.

The Law Society, in its weekly update on the latest developments and debates in Parliament, has provided an update on the Renters’ Rights Bill’s second reading debate in the House of Lords on 4 February 2025. Peers expressed concerns about the Bill’s impact on housing legal aid and sought clarification from the House of Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government, Baroness Taylor, regarding the government’s plans to improve court resourcing. The Bill passed its second reading and will proceed to a committee of the whole house after the February 2025 recess.

The Law Society has published FAQs on HMRC’s mandatory tax adviser registration requirements under Part 7 of the Finance Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 18 March 2026. The requirements apply to solicitors who ‘interact’ with HMRC on behalf of clients, including most residential conveyancers who file stamp duty land tax (SDLT) returns. The FAQs indicate that outsourcing SDLT filing is unlikely to exempt firms from registration requirements, as paying SDLT to HMRC would still constitute ‘acting as an agent’. HMRC’s digital registration system is expected to launch on 18 May 2026, with firms given three months to complete registration. Registration will generally apply to firms rather than to individual solicitors, although firms must designate ‘relevant individuals’ at the point of registration based on the firm’s size and management structure. Eligibility requirements for registration include evidence of anti-money laundering supervision, no outstanding tax returns or unpaid tax and no relevant unspent fraud or tax offences, among other factors. Failure to register or comply with registration requirements may result in financial, operational and regulatory consequences, including the inability to communicate with HMRC.

The Law Society has published supplementary FAQs addressing common questions from solicitors regarding its climate change and property practice note. The FAQs cover topics such as additional sources of climate risk information, transactional document requirements, and procedures for conducting climate searches. They also clarify when to commission climate searches, how to handle client-commissioned climate searches, and how to choose appropriate environmental search providers. In addition, the FAQs include sample wording for transactional documents and explain the key types of climate-related risks in property transactions, including physical, transition, and legal or liability risks.

The Law Society has published an article, written by Warren Gordon and Morris Graham, examining and exploring areas where stamp duty land tax (SDLT) repayment agents are pushing boundaries and promoting false claims, including chattels apportionment, properties deemed ‘not suitable for use’, and ‘communal facilities’. This article follows concerns raised by conveyancers regarding the approach adopted by some agencies that offer assistance with SDLT refunds.

The Law Society has published an article covering the latest case update on litigation privilege written by Emilie Jones and Alan Sheeley from Pinsent Masons. The article covers the importance of litigation privilege, the need for caution in early investigations, how to evidence privilege and litigation privilege for non-parties.

The Law Society has published a blog post discussing its new climate change and property practice note, outlining its purpose and how it can assist property solicitors. The practice note provides guidance on advising clients about climate-related risks and includes standard template wording. Recognising that the note comes at a time when property lawyers are already facing huge challenges to their practices, the post emphasises that there are no duties on solicitors in relation to climate change and that all the Law Society is saying is that, as a matter of good practice, solicitors should be clear with their clients as to what they are and are not doing in relation to climate change.

The Law Society of England and Wales has published guidance to help in-house solicitors in the public and private sectors apply the Law Society's 2023 climate change guidance on solicitors' core professional duties. It explains how duties relating to care, warning, disclosure and professional competence, may be engaged by climate change. It also identifies legal risks concerning regulatory compliance, disclosure, contracts, good governance, greenwashing and litigation exposure and includes a practical checklist for integrating climate considerations into legal advice, contracts, policies and reporting.

The Law Society of England and Wales has published its final report from the 21st Century Justice Project, which was initiated in 2022 to explore reforms aimed at improving access to civil justice. The report outlines six key recommendations designed to modernise the system and address longstanding barriers, particularly for individuals on lower incomes and for small businesses. The Law Society calls for the creation of a single, trusted online platform to guide users through legal issues and proposes the establishment of an online dispute resolution ombudsman. It also urges the government to embrace technology-enabled justice—ensuring ethical oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) in legal services—and to foster collaboration between legal professionals and technology providers. A central recommendation is the reform of civil legal aid, which the Law Society describes as underfunded and strained. The report advocates for inflation-linked fee increases, simplified processes and improved trust between the Legal Aid Agency and practitioners. It also highlights the potential of ombudsman schemes to resolve disputes more efficiently, recommending that the sector be rationalised to improve user navigation and effectiveness. Furthermore, the Law Society addresses the increasing use of unbundled legal services by suggesting that clearer guidance and enhanced data collection are needed to manage associated risks. It recommends increasing awareness and usage of legal expenses insurance by encouraging solicitors to routinely verify whether clients hold such policies.

The Law Society has published 'The Future of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) in the justice system', a foresight study on how agentic artificial intelligence (AI) could reshape justice in England and Wales over the next decade. The Law Society states that autonomous AI systems may enter the justice system before rules on human judgment, responsibility and accountability are settled. It states that agentic AI could help reduce court delays and improve access to justice however, without robust safeguards, errors may spread quickly, accountability may become fragmented and unequal access to advanced AI tools could widen existing inequalities. The Law Society calls for clear accountability, transparency in AI decision-making, meaningful human oversight and public debate before agentic AI is adopted more widely.

The Law Society of England and Wales has published its guidance on the consumer protection measures introduced by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act 2024) and their implications for conveyancing practice. It sets out the regulatory and legislative obligations imposed on practitioners to ensure fairness, transparency and compliance during property transactions, explains the offences arising from breaches of the DMCC Act 2024, and advises on how solicitors should inform clients of their responsibilities. The guidance also emphasises the need to preserve client confidentiality and align practice with existing professional standards. It concludes by clarifying that the document reflects the Law Society’s view of good practice rather than constituting formal legal advice.

The Law Society of England and Wales has published guidance to help solicitors identify whether English or Welsh law applies when advising clients. The practice note reflects the growing body of Wales-specific legislation in devolved areas, despite England and Wales remaining a single legal jurisdiction. It highlights differences in areas including housing and property, such as taxation, social housing and landlord and tenant responsibilities, and education, including the statutory frameworks for additional learning needs in Wales and special educational needs and disabilities in England. The guidance was developed by Dr Bronwen Williams, head of Swansea Law School at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and aims to support accurate advice for clients in England, Wales and cross-border matters.