Mini summary: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published the response to the consultation ‘Including claimant data on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines’ and announced plans to amend legislation to allow claimants of money judgment in the County Court and High Court to be published on the Register. The consultation, which ran between 21 November 2023 and 16 January 2024, received 151 individual responses. The vast majority of respondents were broadly supportive of the proposal.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced new powers allowing Crown Court judges to impose prison sanctions on offenders who refuse to attend sentencing or are removed for disruptive behaviour. The measures aim to strengthen deterrence, particularly for offenders facing long prison terms for whom additional imprisonment may have limited effect. Sanctions include loss of prison privileges for up to 84 days, cellular confinement for up to 21 days, loss of social visits for up to 27 days, or limits on social visits to once every four weeks for up to 84 days. Visits from prisoners’ children will be exempt. Lower limits will apply to offenders aged 18 to 20 held in young offender institutions. The sanctions may be imposed instead of, or alongside, other available penalties. The measures are expected to take effect in 2027.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that the lasting power of attorney (LPA) application fees will increase from £82 to £92, pending Parliamentary approval. The new fee will apply to applications received by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) from 17 November 2025. This adjustment aims to better align application income with costs associated with OPG service delivery. Fee exemptions and reductions will continue to be available depending on applicants' financial circumstances, in accordance with His Majesty's Treasury guidance on Managing Public Money.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed unprecedented funding for the Crown Court system, with judges allocated to sit for 110,000 days in the 2025/2026 financial year, representing a 4,000-day increase from the previous period. This comes alongside a £28.5m boost to court maintenance and building funding, bringing the total to £148.5m. The investment aims to address the significant court backlog, which reached 73,000 cases by September 2024. Notable infrastructure projects include RAAC remediation at Harrow Crown Court, a new 30-hearing room tribunal centre in Newgate Street, London and expansion of the City of London Courts. Sir Brian Leveson is currently conducting a comprehensive review of potential reforms to the criminal court system, while the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal will operate at near-maximum capacity to expedite case processing.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced a decrease to the interest rates for the Courts Funds Office's (CFO) special and basic accounts. The interest rate on special accounts has decreased from 4.75% to 4.50% and the interest rate on basic accounts has decreased from 3.56% to 3.38%. The decrease was implemented on 3 March 2025 in response to the Bank of England’s base rate decrease on 6 February 2025 and to ensure that the CFO Service can continue to meet operational costs.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced a rule change on how the Court Funds Office (CFO) holds Unclaimed Court Money for 30 years or more. The MoJ is urging entitled people to claim their money before 1 June 2024 when all dormant accounts within the CFO will be surrendered and any future right to claim funds will be extinguished.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that six new members have been appointed to the Civil Justice Council (CJC). The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of John Cuss as Solicitor member, Amrik Kandola as Alternative Dispute Resolution member, Daniel Hoadley as Digital, Technology and Information member, Laurence Shaw as Legal Executive member, Sue Prince as Lay member and Elizabeth Smart as Advice Sector member. All appointments are for three years, commencing on 1 January 2024.

As part of the government’s wider agenda for justice reform, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced the formation of a specialist panel to strengthen the international standing of English law and promote UK legal services exports. This initiative aims to support economic growth by reinforcing the UK’s position as a global leader in legal services, backed by new research quantifying the commercial value of English law. Alongside this, the government has confirmed its commitment to expanding Intensive Supervision Courts, which focus on addressing the root causes of low-level offending through structured rehabilitation, in conjunction with the Probation Service. A new court in Liverpool will join existing courts in Birmingham, Bristol and Teesside, with pilot evaluations indicating positive outcomes in reducing drug use and improving compliance among participants.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have announced that the Strategic Litigation against Public Participation Bill has gained cross-party support at its second reading. The Bill will allow independent judges to dismiss 'frivolous claims' before they go to court and, the MoJ has said, protect defendants from paying exorbitant costs. The Bill also builds on the work the government began in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 which aims to stop the abuse of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) on issues around economic crime.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) have announced three new appointments to the JAC. Her Honour Judge Angela Rafferty KC, Nicolina Andall and Tom Cross have been appointed by the King on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor each for terms of three years.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced reforms to the unduly lenient sentence (ULS) scheme as part of amendments to the Victims and Courts Bill. The changes extend the period during which victims and bereaved families can challenge sentences from 28 days up to six months, provided it is in the interests of justice. In addition, the time limit for the Attorney General and Solicitor General to review sentences will be extended by 14 days for cases submitted two weeks before the current deadline. Under the ULS, members of the public may refer sentences to the Law Officers for potential Court of Appeal review if the sentences are considered unduly lenient, while the existing 28-day referral period will continue to apply to all other members of the public.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has allocated £5 million to establish a new specialist deportation unit across 80 prisons in England and Wales. The initiative will create 82 specialist roles, operational from 1 April 2025, tasked with expediting the removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) who currently constitute 12% of the prison population. The scheme builds upon existing deportation measures, which have effected a 23% increase in removals since July 2024 compared to the previous year. Working in conjunction with the Home Office, these new staff members will work to  streamline the immigration process and facilitate deportations through the Early Removal Scheme, which permits removal up to 18 months before sentence completion. This forms part of the government's broader strategy to address prison capacity issues and reduce pressure on public resources.