On 8 July 2024 WHO published the world's first medical device database to support governments, regulators and users in their decision-making while encouraging data consistency across borders. The online platform called MeDevIS (Medical Devices Information System) lists 2,301 medical devices covering various treatments and diagnoses, including neonatal care, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. WHO noted that more than 10,000 types of medical devices are sold worldwide but no central repository to support stakeholders exists. It consolidates a fragmented number of registries and helps avoid searching for information across multiple paper-based publications with non-standard device names. MeDevIS aims to be a valuable resource by providing a one-stop shop for information on medical technologies and making the naming of the medical devices simpler. MeDevIs incorporates the European Medical Device Nomenclature (EMDN) naming convention mostly used in Europe, and the Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN), which is used by regulatory agencies in Australia, Canada, UK, US, among others. It was built based on its experience managing the WHO Priority Medical Devices List (MDL), which itself is based on the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML). WHO intends to continuously improve and expand the platform, engaging stakeholders and partners, and adding more technologies and devices used in various health areas, including pandemic and emergency settings.

Competition analysis: In his Opinion in the Tondela Case delivered on 15 May 2025, Advocate General (‘AG’) Emiliou at the Court of Justice of the EU argues that no-poach agreements entered into between competitors have all the characteristics to be considered prima facie restrictive of competition ‘by object’, unless the content, the legal and economic context and the objectives of the specific agreement at issue cast doubt on the harmful nature of the agreement or if the no-poach agreement is ancillary to a transaction which is itself not anti-competitive. In application of the Meca-Medina case law, AG Emiliou argues that the objective of the no-poach agreement in question (ensuring a fair and orderly end of the 2019/2020 football season during coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic) was worthy of protection under EU law and absent any equally effective and less restrictive measures necessary and proportionate to that objective. Written by Peter Giese, Kirsten Baubkus-Gérard, Elisa Götz, lawyers at CMS.

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published three interlocking studies on bioinformatics quality controls for genomic surveillance, with implications for emerging regulatory frameworks. The JRC said the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that rapid genomic sequencing often prioritised speed over consistency, increasing the risk of inaccurate results that could affect diagnostics, epidemiological modelling and vaccine development. It identified two main priorities for reliable surveillance: maintaining the integrity of raw sequencing data and systematically benchmarking bioinformatics tools to ensure accurate analysis. The studies covered the development of PathoSeq-QC, a workflow designed to improve transparency, reproducibility and validation of genomic analyses; an investigation with Slovenian laboratories showing that apparent SARS-CoV-2 mutations were artefacts caused by bioinformatics pipeline errors; and a benchmarking study assessing four tools used to detect SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNAs using synthetic and real-world datasets. The JRC said the studies together establish a quality assurance framework for genomic surveillance and support wider adoption of decision-support workflows, cross-validation mechanisms and standardised benchmarking datasets. It also noted that organisations including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the World Health Organization are increasingly integrating omics technologies into regulatory and surveillance systems, increasing the importance of robust quality controls to avoid misleading public health conclusions.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has reported that the government’s Compensation Recovery Unit recorded a further fall in personal injury claims in 2025, with total registrations reaching a record low, based on data obtained through a Freedom of Information request. A total of 413,323 claims were registered, a 12% decrease from 2024 and a fall of more than half compared with 2018. The decline was driven mainly by motor injury claims, which fell by 14% year on year to 282,428 and reached their lowest quarterly level on record in the final quarter of 2025. Claims in other categories, including employer and public liability, also remained well below previous highs. ACSO said the sustained reduction reflects increased barriers to bringing claims, particularly following the Ministry of Justice’s whiplash reforms, and stated that the figures undermine claims of a widespread compensation culture, as higher small claims limits and fixed costs regimes have reduced access to legal representation despite road traffic levels returning close to pre-pandemic norms.

A letter from the Counsel General for Wales, Mick Antoniw MS, has resulted in a day of resignations for Welsh politics on 16 July 2024, including the First Minister's (FM) resignation. Just after 9.30 am on 16 July 2024, Antoniw posted a letter on X (formerly known as Twitter) in which he called on Vaughan Gething to resign as First Minister of Wales, drawing attention specifically to the Senedd's vote of no confidence in the FM in early June 2024. Antoniw wrote, 'you have lost a vote of confidence in the Senedd. That is something I regard as being of major constitutional importance.' Gething had refused to resign following the vote, which was not legally binding and was passed with a majority of two, as two Labour members of the Senedd had been absent with illness. The background is a series of troubles for the FM, including a row on political donations and reports that, as health minister, he had deleted chat messages during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Shortly after the Counsel General published his letter, it was reported that he had resigned, together with three other Welsh ministers, including Julie James, Lesley Griffiths and Jeremy Miles. The FM announced his own resignation a few hours later.

The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford has commented on new data showing net migration to the UK reached 728,000 in the year ending June 2024, significantly above pre-pandemic levels. This increase was primarily driven by non-EU citizens, with non-EU net migration at 845,000. Conversely, EU net migration was negative at -95,000. The rise in non-EU migration was largely attributed to work visas, particularly in the health and care sector, and international students. The government introduced measures in early 2024 to curb migration, focusing on family members of international students and care workers. While emigration of international students is increasing, potentially reducing net migration from 2025 onwards, long-term projections remain uncertain. The Observatory notes that official estimates are subject to revision and cautions against interpreting current high levels as a 'new normal'. It also notes that the UK has experienced broadly similar levels of migration compared to other high-income countries, on average, over the past few decades.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes major developments on local government reorganisation, with the Government announcing further decisions across 14 areas in England including preferred two-, three- and four-unitary models, alongside confirmation that no final decisions have yet been made for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough or West Sussex. It also includes the latest public procurement developments, including new UK steel transparency requirements under PPN 022, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's findings on procurement failures during the pandemic and new Cabinet Office guidance on Procurement Compliance Service investigations. It also highlights key social housing developments, including the commencement date for the second phase of Awaab's Law, updates to the Regulator of Social Housing's consumer standards and tenant satisfaction requirements, the Women and Equalities Committee's report on racial inequality in homelessness services, and a new data-sharing agreement to tackle social housing fraud. Further updates include Local government reorganisation, Public procurement, Social housing, Children's social care, Adult social care, Governance, Education and Licensing.

Pensions analysis: The First-Tier Tribunal (‘the Tribunal’) has ruled that the Pensions Regulator (TPR) acted ‘unfairly’ in issuing a penalty to a building company (‘the Appellant company.’) for failing to comply with its automatic enrolment duties in compliance with workplace pension law under the Pensions Act 2008 (PA 2008). The Tribunal found that having satisfied itself that the precondition for issuing a penalty had been met, TPR then declined the opportunity to consider the evidence and argument put forward on behalf of the Appellant company. The Tribunal commented that TPR entirely discounted the alleged facts without either seeking confirmation of the facts as alleged, nor querying their veracity and weight. In taking this approach, TPR was said to have ignored the newness and scale of the company, the possible impact of the ‘extraordinary’ coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on such a small, new organisation, as well as ignoring the statement of the impact of a bereavement. Written by Rowena Wisniewska Sethi, barrister at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square Chambers.

This week's edition of Life Sciences weekly highlights includes news that the MHRA has updated its International Recognition Procedure (IRP) guidance, introducing changes to validation requirements, approval timelines, and eligibility criteria, including for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Also included is news that the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) has completed the revision of its Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guideline with the publication of Annex 2 covering decentralised and pragmatic clinical trials and the use of real-world data, and that the DHSC has launched a UK-wide consultation on restrictions for tobacco and vaping product packaging, appearance and retail display. Further news includes the MHRA has announced the sentencing of four members of an organised criminal group following an investigation into the illegal online supply of medicines, prescription-only medicines (POMs) and unauthorised medicinal products, as well as news that the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has published its Module 5 report identifying procurement failures in the supply of healthcare equipment during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Hansard Society has published analysis examining constitutional and legislative impact of the government's decision to reduce international aid spending to 0.3% of GNI to fund defence spending increases, breaching the 0.7% aid target under the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015. This development follows the 2020-2021 precedent where, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ministers effectively bypassed the statutory 0.7% target through a ministerial statement rather than legislative amendment. The Society's analysis considers whether the legislation allows for pre-meditated non-compliance with a statutory duty, examining the weaknesses in declaratory legislation, and the lack of enforcement mechanisms beyond basic reporting requirements. The analysis highlights the risk of growing executive dominance over Parliament, as Ministers can effectively override primary legislation through statements, raising questions about parliamentary sovereignty and the efficacy of laws without meaningful sanctions. The Society argues this demonstrates a concerning pattern of legislative failure and diminishing parliamentary oversight. While acknowledging that ignoring a law is easier politically than repealing it, the report warns that doing so erodes legal certainty and democratic accountability.

The House of Commons Library (HoC Library) has published a research briefing on the no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition placed on certain migrant visas. Those on visas with NRPF cannot access most mainstream benefits including social housing and welfare. The briefing explains the NRPF policy and its history and development, highlighting that most temporary migrant visas have been subject to the NRPF condition for the past forty years, with the Covid-19 pandemic raising concerns about the hardships experienced by those with NRPF. The report discusses the civil society objections to NRPF policy and the arguments that it 'creates destitution particularly for minority groups such as Black women, and shifts responsibility for dealing with the consequences to local government'. It also raises the arguments in favour of the policy, including that NRPF is an 'essential requirement of immigration control' and that it is in the UK's interests that migrants are financially independent and not a burden on the taxpayer. The briefing additionally covers recent parliamentary interest in the NRPF policy and discusses policy developments, including the extension of NRPF to people granted permission to stay in the UK for human rights reasons. The briefing highlights that in 2024, 'around two thirds of adults in Great Britain think migrants should be able to claim the same welfare benefits as British citizens within three years'.

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) has published a research note examining five years of global credit default swap (CDS) market activity from 2021–25, reporting that activity reached a record USD 41.8 trillion in 2025, surpassing the previous peak of USD 38.7 trillion in 2022. Index CDS drove the increase, accounting for 93.3% of total activity at USD 39.0 trillion, while single-name CDS activity stood at USD 2.8 trillion. The index-to-single-name ratio fell sharply to 8.5x in 2023 amid banking sector stress before recovering to 13.8x in 2025. Single-name CDS peaked at USD 3.3 trillion in 2023 following the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and other lenders. Index and single-name CDS responded differently to market events. During the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the 2025 US tariff shock, index CDS rose more sharply than single-name activity. CDX.NA.IG and iTraxx Europe together accounted for approximately 75% of index CDS activity in 2025, at 43.4% and 32.4% respectively. Market breadth remained stable, with 710–760 unique reference entities executed each quarter. Central clearing covered 78.1% of index CDS notional and 63.1% of single-name CDS notional in 2025. In H1 of 2026, total CDS trading reached USD 27.4 trillion, up 27.8% year-on-year, with index CDS rising 28.3% to USD 25.7 trillion and single-name CDS growing 19.8% to USD 1.7 trillion.