DR analysis: The CJEU has reiterated, in an order of the court, that a national court has no power to make a referral to the CJEU for a preliminary ruling on a case which is no longer pending before it. This is clear from both the court’s recommendations to national courts and tribunals as well as case law. In this case the court was asked to consider questions as to whether enforcement of a freezing injunction could fall within art 34 of the Brussels I Regulation such that a Member State need not enforce it where it was contrary to its own public policy. However, as the freezing order had been discharged the reference was not heard. For practitioners interested in such a ruling the CJEU noted that there are other cases pending seeking determination on that issue.

The Court of Justice of the European Community has held that where a party seeks a negative declaration to establish an absence of any liability in tort, delict or quasi delict art 5(3) of the Judgments Regulation does apply. This judgment disgrees with the approach which had been taken in the Opinion given in this case back in April 2012.

Dispute Resolution analysis: The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has considered the construction of article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 864/2007 (Rome II) and held that the damage suffered by family members as a consequence of the death of a family member is to be treated as consequential damages for the purposes of Rome II, art 4(1).

Dispute Resolution analysis: the third chamber has ruled that a preliminary ruling from an Italian court is inadmissible due to a failure to comply with the requirements set out in the Rules of Court. The context of any reference must be set out.

The Court of Justice of the European Union's (CJEU) Advocate General Tamara Ćapeta has proposed that Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) awards must be subject to full review by national courts to ensure FIFA rules comply with EU law. The Advocate General distinguishes sports arbitration from commercial arbitration, citing the mandatory nature of FIFA's arbitration clauses and the organisation's self-sufficient enforcement mechanism. Ćapeta argues that EU law precludes national provisions limiting court access for CAS award reviews, emphasising that direct access to national courts and full judicial review must be available to EU sport actors subject to FIFA's dispute settlement system. The opinion suggests Member States should enable direct court access to review FIFA rules for EU law compatibility, even after Swiss Federal Supreme Court confirmation of CAS awards.

The Centre for Justice Innovation (CJI) has published a strategic policy paper titled ‘Systems shift’ which sets out its ten-point plan on reform of the criminal justice system. The plan is intended to urge the next government to stop the system from overloading and fundamentally change how the criminal justice system operates. The points include emergency measures to reduce prison population pressures, immediate action to reduce the Crown Court backlog, prioritising early intervention and setting up an independent commission into drugs policy.

The Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments (CL:AIRE) has published 13 PFAS Site Profiles, developed as part of the Environment Agency PFAS Risk Screening Project, to support the regulation, investigation and remediation of sites where legacy per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may present risks to health and the environment. The guidance identifies potentially important industry sectors and activities that may be sources of PFAS release, including civil and military airfields and airports, Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulated sites, fire-fighting grounds and fire stations, landfills, metal manufacturing and finishing, military bases, the oil and gas industry, paper and cardboard manufacturing, refineries and fuel sites, textiles, upholstery, leather, apparel and carpets (TULAC) manufacturing, and waste water treatment works, together with separate profiles covering aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) and fire suppression systems.

The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) has announced on 18 March 2025 that it will add new permissions to its commercial and public sector licences from 1 May 2025, allowing UK professionals to legally use copyright-protected content in generative AI (GAI) tools. The expansion follows CLA research showing 61% of professionals already use GAI at work, with 80% using it weekly. The new permissions aim to enable lawful content use while ensuring fair compensation for rightsholders. The changes were developed in consultation with publishers, authors and visual artists.

The Construction Leadership Council's Material Supply Chain Group has issued a statement reporting flat or declining building materials sales in the third quarter compared to 2024, with no significant recovery expected before 2026. The group, co-chaired by John Newcomb of the Builders Merchants Federation and Peter Caplehorn of the Construction Products Association, identified persistent supply chain pressures and described current conditions as among the most challenging trading environments in over ten years. The statement highlighted concerns that reduced hiring and apprenticeship investment in housebuilding and domestic repair, maintenance and improvement sectors could create medium-term capacity and workforce shortages, potentially undermining the Construction Skills Mission Board's target to achieve 100,000 additional annual recruits by the end of parliament. The group called for demand-side stimulus from the UK government and renewed focus on the Warm Homes Plan, which has promised £13bn investment for five million homes across Britain.

The Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) Material Supply Chain Group ('the Group') has reported that the UK construction market faces persistently weak prospects in early 2026 and warned that urgent demand-side intervention is required to prevent longer-term damage. The Group noted a sharp fall in construction output in the final quarter of 2025, despite modest growth in the wider economy, with concrete volumes down substantially over recent years, particularly in London, indicating a prolonged contraction in activity. While material availability is not constrained and supply generally exceeds demand, manufacturers are holding high stock levels, reassessing production, and, in some cases, mothballing capacity or reducing investment, which would limit the speed of any future recovery.

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) have met to discuss industry concerns pertaining to building control applications. They will continue discussions over the following weeks, seeking to address priority areas and maximise communication to the industry.

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC), in collaboration with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), have provided updates on the building control approval process for higher-risk building (HRB) work. These updates cover Gateway 1, which focuses on fire safety in land use planning, and Gateway 2, which requires building control approval for HRBs. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published an article summarising the Gateway 1 process, detailing its approach and highlighting the early impact of this first checkpoint. As the Statutory Consultee for planning applications involving HRBs, the HSE reviews fire statements submitted by developers and provides recommendations to local planning authorities. Regarding Gateway 2, the BSR reported that many applications, particularly those for smaller refurbishment projects and work on existing buildings, have been incomplete or unclear. It emphasised the need for comprehensive, high-quality applications that clearly demonstrate compliance with building regulations.