About Public Law Topics we cover Our experts Our Top Sources News Practice Notes Precedents Q&As Featured Glossary

About Public Law

As a government lawyer your clients are experiencing various impacts on policy making from numerous and competing interests such as austerity, efficiency, collective/individual rights, European and devolved/delegated jurisdictions. Your job advising on legislation and risk of challenge through judicial review is increasingly time consuming and complex.

Brexit

With reform of retained EU law high on the agenda, post-Brexit legal changes remains a key issue. Get key information and updates for all practitioners, with practice area specific Brexit content across the modules.

Judicial Review

We outline the key principles and procedural requirements with a clear focus on the public sector perspective. The content focusses primarily on judicial review in the Administrative Court in England and Wales.

Public Procurement

Failure to stick to procedures can have significant legal, financial and practical consequences for a contracting authority. We guide you through various processes, focussing on the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Expertise on all matters

An essential resource providing guidance & materials on core legal subjects relevant to lawyers in all areas of legal practice, as well as specialist content designed to assist government lawyers in a range of key areas

Our Top Sources

GET A TRIAL

Associated legal terms

Community service

Community service refers to unpaid work carried out for the benefit of the community as a criminal sanction, usually imposed as an alternative to custody. It requires an offender to perform specified hours of work, supervised by probation or equivalent services, within a set period.

In England and Wales, community service is now usually referred to as “unpaid work” within a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. In Scotland, a similar requirement is imposed as an “unpaid work or other activity requirement” within a Community Payback Order under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010. In Northern Ireland, “community service orders” are provided for under the Powers of Criminal Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980. In Ireland, the Criminal Justice (Community Service) Acts provide for “community service orders”.

Across all four jurisdictions, community service typically involves risk assessment, suitability reports, breach procedures and consequences for non-compliance, and is used by courts to promote rehabilitation, reparation and proportionality while avoiding short custodial sentences.

Freedom of speech

Freedom of speech describes the legal space in which individuals, media and organisations may express opinions and receive information without unjustified interference, across litigation, regulation, employment and public law (including judicial review).

In England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland it is a qualified right under Article 10 ECHR, given effect by the Human Rights Act 1998 and developed in case law. Public authorities must not act incompatibly, and interferences must be prescribed by law, pursue a legitimate aim (eg national security, prevention of disorder or crime, protection of reputation or the rights of others, confidentiality, maintaining the authority of the judiciary) and be necessary and proportionate. Devolved legislation and executive action must also comply (Scotland Act 1998; Northern Ireland Act 1998).

Common limits arise through defamation, contempt of court and reporting restrictions, confidentiality and privacy, public order and hate‑speech offences, harassment and communications offences, counter‑terrorism, and professional or employment duties. Political speech and press freedom attract strong protection, but not immunity.

In Ireland, freedom of expression is protected by the Constitution (Article 40.6.1(i)) and the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003; restrictions are tested for necessity and proportionality in constitutional review. The term is descriptive rather than defined in statute, and usage is consistent across these jurisdictions.

Solicitor general

A solicitor general is a senior government law officer who supports and deputises for the attorney general in advising the state and conducting major litigation. In England and Wales and in Northern Ireland, the Solicitor General (or Advocate General/Solicitor for Northern Ireland in some contexts) is a government minister and Law Officer of the Crown, primarily responsible for advising on complex public, constitutional and EU/retained EU law issues, overseeing the Government Legal Department, and representing the state in appellate courts, including the UK Supreme Court.

In Scotland, the equivalent role is the Solicitor General for Scotland, the deputy to the Lord Advocate within the Scottish Government and head of the systems of criminal prosecution and investigation of deaths.

In Ireland, the Solicitor General was historically a law officer but the office has been abolished; its functions are effectively subsumed within the Office of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor’s Office.

The role is grounded in statute and constitutional practice in each jurisdiction and is central to government litigation strategy, references to appellate courts, and the supervision of Crown or State legal services.
Discover our Public Law legal terms
VIEW Glossary

Try it for free for 7 days

No Credit Card Required

No Downloads Necessary

**Trials are provided to all LexisNexis content, excluding Practice Compliance, Practice Management and Risk and Compliance, subscription packages are tailored to your specific needs. To discuss trialling these LexisNexis services please email customer service via our online form. Free trials are only available to individuals based in the UK, Ireland and selected UK overseas territories and Caribbean countries. We may terminate this trial at any time or decide not to give a trial, for any reason. Trial includes one question to LexisAsk during the length of the trial.