The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has introduced major reforms to the Arbitration Act 2025, which came into effect on 1 August 2025. These changes aim to reinforce the UK’s status as the world’s leading arbitration hub, particularly enhancing London’s position over competitors such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Paris. The updated legislation enables businesses to resolve disputes more swiftly and cost-effectively by allowing arbitrators to dismiss unmeritorious claims early, requiring the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest and granting courts enhanced powers to support arbitration proceedings.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has unveiled plans to increase Crown Court sitting days by 2,000, bringing the total to 108,500 for the year—the highest figure in nearly a decade. This measure aims to address the growing court backlog, which currently exceeds 73,000 cases. Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood emphasised the urgency of reducing the backlog to ensure swifter justice for victims. Additionally, the government has commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to conduct an independent review of the criminal courts, exploring potential reforms such as the introduction of 'intermediate courts'. These initiatives form part of the government's broader strategy to reduce the court backlog, expedite trials and restore public confidence in the criminal justice system.

The Ministry of Justice and the Legal Services Board have announced that the Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Catherine Brown as Interim Chair of the Legal Services Board (LSB) and the Legal Services Board Wales, effective until 31 December 2025. This appointment, made under the Legal Services Act 2007 after consulting the Lady Chief Justice, is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, ensuring the LSB has a Chair during the recruitment process. Brown, who has served on the LSB board since 2019 as both Audit and Risk Assurance Committee Chair and Senior Independent Director, brings experience from roles including CEO of the Food Standards Agency and Chair of the Enforcement Conduct Board.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that the Victims and Prisoners Bill will be amended to automatically suspend parental responsibility upon sentencing for parents who are convicted of murder or voluntary manslaughter of a partner or ex-partner with whom they have children. The MoJ has clarified that there will be an automatic exemption in cases where a domestic abuse victim kills their abuser. The aim of the new law is to better protect children by ‘preventing killers from having any say over key elements of their life’ like access to therapy, going on holiday or schooling decisions. The law will be named ‘Jade’s Law’, after Jade Ward, who was murdered by her former partner in 2021, who then continued to take part in decisions relating to their children, consequently inflicting trauma on them.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced a £20m annual increase in civil legal aid funding, marking the first major investment since 1996. The changes will raise housing legal aid rates by 24% and immigration rates by 30%, with fixed fees for housing work increasing from £157 to £223 and for asylum legal help from £413 to £559. The new scheme establishes hourly rates of £65 for non-London work and £69 for London work, applying the higher of these rates or a 10% uplift on current fees. The funding is aimed at improving access to legal support for individuals facing homelessness and expediting the processing of asylum claims.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), led by Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, has announced significant reforms to tackle the prison capacity crisis and enhance public safety. These measures follow recommendations from the Independent Sentencing Review led by former Justice Secretary, David Gauke. The reforms introduce an ‘earned progression model’ in which prisoners must demonstrate good behaviour to secure an earlier release. Under the new system, prisoners on standard determinate sentences must serve at least one-third of their sentence before earning the possibility of early release, with those on sentences for more serious offences required to serve at least half their term. There will be no automatic release for those who misbehave; rather, individuals must engage in constructive activities such as education and employment to reduce in-prison violence and lower crime, with the potential for the worst behaved offenders to remain incarcerated for longer than the typical release range of 33% to 50% of their sentence. Additionally, the reforms include a £4.7bn prison expansion programme and a 45% increase in probation funding, raising it to £700m by the 2028 to 2029 period.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that a new court, eight new employment tribunal rooms and four new business and property courtrooms will open in Leeds. The new employment tribunals have already been built, with construction work underway for the four new business and property courtrooms. The new spaces to hear cases is a part of the government’s £220m investment in court maintenance in the Northeast of England.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced a new offence for individuals who create a sexually explicit deepfake even if there is no intent to share. Offenders will face prosecution and an unlimited fine and if the image is shared, offenders may be sent to jail. The new offence will be introduced through an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has unveiled plans to introduce new criminal offences targeting the creation and sharing of sexually explicit 'deepfakes', as well as the non-consensual taking of intimate images. The proposed legislation, to be included in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, will carry a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment. These measures expand upon existing offences and implement recommendations from the Law Commission. The government has also designated sharing intimate image offences as priority offences under the Online Safety Act, compelling platforms to remove such content or face regulatory action. These reforms aim to address the growing issue of intimate image abuse, particularly affecting women and girls and form part of the government's broader strategy to combat online harassment and protect victims.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced plans to repeal the presumption of parental involvement from sections 1(2A), (2B) and (6) of the Children Act 1989, following publication of a comprehensive review on 22 October 2025. The current provisions require courts to presume in child arrangements and certain private law children proceedings that parental involvement will further a child's welfare unless evidence suggests risk of harm. The review, launched in November 2020 following a recommendation from the Harm Panel Report, examined how courts apply these sections and their impact on children's welfare. The MoJ published a final report alongside supporting research including a literature review, qualitative research on Black, Asian and minority ethnic parents' experiences, and analysis of unpublished court judgments. The government will legislate to repeal the presumption when Parliamentary time allows, with the change intended to prioritise children's safety in family court proceedings.

The Ministry of Justice has unveiled plans for a substantial investment in civil legal aid, marking the first increase since 1996. Subject to consultation, an additional £20 million per annum will be injected into the sector, with a particular focus on housing and immigration work. The proposal aims to raise fees to £65 per hour (£69 in London) or implement a 10% uplift, whichever is higher. For immigration cases, this increase is expected to enhance support for victims of modern slavery and trafficking. The consultation, set to launch in January 2025, is stated to form part of a broader strategy to revitalise the legal aid sector and address civil court backlogs. Implementation is slated for 2025-26, with full realisation of the £20 million investment by 2027-28. This development follows a recent £24 million boost to criminal legal aid for police station and youth court work.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced plans for new primary legislation enabling immediate deportation of foreign criminals upon sentencing. The proposed law will repeal longstanding legal provisions to allow foreign national offenders serving determinate sentences to be deported directly from prison. This builds upon secondary legislation introduced in June 2025, which will reduce the custodial threshold for deportation from 50% to 30% of a sentence once this is expected to come into force in September. The new powers will further reduce this to 0%, pending the passage of primary legislation. Exceptions will apply to individuals posing ongoing threats to national security or those serving life sentences, who will remain subject to full custodial terms before deportation consideration. Discretion will also be retained on a case-by-case basis. The measures will apply retrospectively to those already in custody and prospectively to new convictions, aiming to reduce taxpayer expenditure and mitigate public risk.