The timetable for Budgets was, in theory, reformed in autumn 2017. Under that timetable, a non-general election year should only contain one ‘major fiscal event’, ie an Autumn Budget. However, due to the impact of general elections and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic since 2017, there have been various Spring Budgets either as well as or instead of Autumn Budgets in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The last Budget took place on 27 October 2021. In a calendar year without a general election or other major disruptive event, the annual Budget cycle announced in 2017 is

This week's edition of Corporate Crime weekly highlights includes analysis of the lack of focus on financial crime in the political parties’ manifestos and of how the Labour Party plans to create a new coronavirus (COVID-19) corruption tsar to recoup public money lost in fraud and failed contracts during the pandemic. Also included is news of the FCDO’s updated guidance on Russian sanctions as well as 50 new sanctions designations and specifications targeting Russia, of a construction company fined £2.345m after an employee drowned in a river and that the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024 received Royal Assent thereby automatically exonerating wrongly convicted Scottish sub-postmasters. All this, and more, in this week’s Corporate Crime highlights.

It has become increasingly common in international arbitration for some aspects of the procedure to be conducted remotely, with some or all participants attending by video or telephone. Prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, parties and arbitrators would often agree to conduct some aspects of a case remotely for a variety of reasons, including convenience, cost savings or other efficiencies, or out of necessity (when, for example, a witness was unable to attend a hearing in person). Remote hearings by telephone or video-conference also are used in emergency arbitrator proceedings and in cases proceeding under expedited procedures rules. During the pandemic, many arbitrations proceeded with fully remote hearings, where most or all participants are located physically in different locations. This Practice Note is intended to provide guidance on the conduct of remote hearings in international arbitration. It describes: • remote hearing options • potential benefits of remote hearings, as well as potential concerns • legal issues that may arise in connection with remote hearings, and • practical issues to be addressed in

The Vice-President of the Court of Protection, Mr Justice Hayden, has issued guidance for judges and practitioners offering practical solutions to some of the issues being raised in connection with coronavirus (COVID-19), including this question. See Court of Protection: Guidance COVID-19. In this guidance, Mr Justice Hayden notes that Practice Direction 4A: Hearings makes it clear that the Court of Protection is able to direct the scope and ambit of the hearing. This has already led to earlier guidance making specific provision for telephone hearings and, in the present circumstances, the broad approach is that hearings of less than

The practice of electronic signing of documents has risen in popularity in recent times, and has accelerated further as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This has come to be known as the 'Mercury Signing Approach', which was initially proposed by the Law Society in 2009 in a Practice Note: Execution of documents by virtual means (updated in May 2020). In its 2019 report, Electronic Execution of Documents (Law Com No 386), the Law Commission endorsed the Mercury approach. This involves a scanned manuscript signature being added to the final version of the deed, and is of use where all parties to the transaction completed by deed are not

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. It gave a summary of the key legal developments which were expected to impact corporate lawyers during 2023. It is for background information only. Key developments to look out for during 2023 will continue to include those related to Brexit. To track Brexit-related legislation, including statutory instruments, see the Brexit legislation tracker [Archived]. It may also be useful to refer to the Brexit collection and Brexit timeline [Archived]. To track legal and regulatory developments relating to other specific topics, see: • Corporate governance horizon scanning—2023 and beyond • National Security and Investment Bill—progress tracker • UK listing and prospectus regime reform—progress tracker • SPAC tracker • Dual class share structure tracker • Listing Rules tracker • Prospectus Regulation Rules tracker • UK Prospectus Regulation tracker • EU Prospectus Regulation tracker (2001–2020) • Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules tracker, and • Transparency Directive tracker [Archived] • Market Abuse Regulation—timeline • Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR)—timeline (2007–2023) [Archived] • Coronavirus (COVID-19)—legislation tracker [Archived] • Coronavirus

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19): Many arbitral organisations have responded to the coronavirus pandemic with practical guidance and/or changes to their usual procedures and ways of working. This Practice Note considers how to commence an arbitration under the 2017 International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Rules of Arbitration (2017 ICC Rules). It also refers to the guidance in the ICC Note to Parties and Arbitral Tribunals on the Conduct of the Arbitration under the ICC Rules of Arbitration (ICC Note). The 2017 ICC Rules apply to any ICC arbitrations commenced on or after 1 March 2017, unless the parties have agreed to submit to the rules in force on the date of their arbitration agreement (ICC, art 6(1)). The 2017 ICC Rules include: • an expedited procedure which automatically applies where the arbitration agreement is entered into after 1 March 2017 and the amount in dispute is below US$2m. In cases above this threshold, the parties must opt-in. For guidance on the ICC expedited procedure, see

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19): Many arbitral organisations have responded to the coronavirus pandemic with practical guidance and/or changes to their usual procedures and ways of working. This Practice Note deals with the requirements of an award under the 2017 International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Rules of Arbitration (2017 ICC Rules). The 2017 ICC Rules apply to any ICC arbitration commenced on or after 1 March 2017, unless the parties have agreed to submit to the rules in force on the date of their arbitration agreement (which is unlikely). The 2017 ICC Rules include: • an expedited procedure which automatically applies where the arbitration agreement is entered into after 1 March 2017 and the amount in dispute is below US$2m. In cases above this threshold, the parties must opt-in. For guidance on the ICC expedited procedure, including the requirements for awards under the procedure, see Practice Note: ICC (2017)—expedited procedure [Archived] • amended costs provisions effective from 1 January 2017. For guidance on costs in ICC

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. For more information, see subtopic: New and updated content in Risk and Compliance. This Practice Note keeps you informed, on a month-by-month basis, about amended existing content and newly-published content in Risk & Compliance. This content may have been added or amended to reflect regulatory changes or as part of our ongoing content development. December 2021 New or updated? Content Reason New Practice Note: Risk & Compliance forecast as at 14 December 2021 Content development New Precedent: DPIA or PIA approval form Content development New Practice Note: Coronavirus (COVID-19)—managing the workplace 30 November 2021 to 23 February 2022 [Archived] Content development to reflect latest government guidance. Updated Practice Note: Money Laundering Regulations 2017—governance and reporting lines Updated for SRA guidance on AML governance—Three Pillars of Success. Updated Practice Notes:—Brexit legislation tracker [Archived]—Brexit timeline [Archived] Updated to reflect latest Brexit developments. Updated Practice Notes:—Coronavirus (COVID-19)—managing the workplace 19 July

This week's edition of Life Sciences weekly highlights includes news and a Law 360 analysis of the CAT’s handing down of two further appeal decisions in Allergan PLC v CMA upholding the CMA’s findings in the first instance but permitting the ‘due process’ appeals because it felt the CMA did not fully present its case under cross-examination of key witnesses in regards to the unlawful agreements it entered to keep 10 mg hydrocortisone tablets off the market and charge the NHS higher prices. This week’s edition also includes a Law360 analysis of a US ruling that Pfizer does not need to provide access to documents to a French non-profit about its coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine development agreement with the French government in which Pfizer was granted indemnity. Also included, is news that the European Commission adopted the new legislation amending Regulation (EU) 712/2012 (Variations Regulation) to streamline the procedure for varying marketing authorisations of medicinal products as part of its pharmaceutical reform package and issued three factsheets about key areas of regulatory reform (ie access to medicines, preventing medicines shortages and rare disease innovation), the DHSC has announced new action to tackle ethnic and other biases in medical devices and news that the Commission adopted two implementing decisions on harmonised standards for medical devices, among other news stories.

This week's edition of Insurance & Reinsurance weekly highlights includes: UK marine insurer investigating Baltimore bridge crash; four years on, coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown cover claims near endgame; Supreme Court unanimously dismisses appeal against decision to assess damages for PSLA concurrently for whiplash and non-whiplash injuries; ship owners win US$37m naval detention insurance dispute; AI misuse will drive cyber insurance demand, actuary says; health and safety top risk for directors, global survey says; law firm closures hit lowest since 2019 as premiums fall; insurance tech firm can't get policy tracker patent in UK; UK insurance tax bill rises to £8.1bn amid soaring premiums; Insurance Europe warn regulators of gaps in greenwashing rules; the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) publishes findings of a multi-firm review into insurers' valuation of vehicles; cases & decisions; key dates for your diary; and other news highlights reported over the past week.

The Insolvency Service has announced a 13-year directorship disqualification for Adam Ebrahim following fraudulent coronavirus bounce back loan (BBL) applications totalling £100,000. Ebrahim secured maximum-value loans for two non-trading companies by falsely claiming annual turnovers of £400,000 and £235,000. The companies, Chicken Grill Cottage Ltd and Presto Delivery Ltd, entered liquidation in June 2022 owing over £100,000. Ebrahim has been ordered to pay £9,555 in costs and is prohibited from company directorship until April 2038 without the court's permission.