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
Topics We Cover
Latest Public Law News
Public Law analysis: The claimants renewed an application for permission to challenge various alleged shortcomings concerning the UK Government’s...
Public Law analysis: In A Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland [2026] UKSC 16, the Supreme Court overruled Cheshire West, holding...
The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) has published its 4th report of session 2026–27. At its meeting on 9 June 2026, the...
The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments (JCSI) has reported 4 statutory instruments in its 3rd report of session 2026–27....
The Institute for Government (IfG) has published commentary on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s proposal to abolish the Public Sector Equality Duty...
Latest Public Law Practice Notes
The Bribery Act 2010 (BA 2010) criminalises:•bribing another person (active bribery)•soliciting or accepting a bribe (passive bribery)•bribing a...
The freedom of information (FOI) case tracker records and summarises key decisions and case law rulings relating to the enforcement of the Freedom of...
This Practice Note identifies the potential causes of action in cases of sexual abuse. It considers the basis for the liability of not just the...
The EU public procurement case tracker records and summarises the most recent European case law developments relating to public procurement.This...
This Practice Note provides an introduction to disclosure under the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), setting out the main CPR provisions governing the...
Latest Public Law Precedents
CauseHow much does it contribute to the problem? (0 = not at all, 10 = a lot)How easy is it...
We take your privacy very seriously. Please read this privacy policy carefully as it contains important information on who we are and how and why we...
1Interest on late paymentIf either party fails to make payment in accordance with this Agreement the other party shall be entitled, in addition to any...
ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.STOP PRESS: As of 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023...
ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.STOP PRESS: As of 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023...
Latest Public Law Q&As
Featured Public Law content
Sources of constitutional law
Sources of constitutional lawIn briefThe British constitution is unwritten in the sense that it does not derive from a single constitutional text. It...
Methods of statutory interpretation
Methods of statutory interpretation used to resolve disputes about the meaning of legislationIntroduction to statutory interpretationThe aim of...
Convention rights—structure of qualified rights
Convention rights—structure of qualified rightsThe rights preserved under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), as set out in the Human...
Judicial review—time limits and the pre-action protocol
Judicial review—time limits and the pre-action protocolWhen considering whether and how to bring a claim for judicial review, the first step is to...
Grounds of judicial review—unreasonableness
Grounds of judicial review—unreasonablenessThis Practice Note outlines the ground of judicial review usually known as unreasonableness or...
What is fettering of discretion in judicial review? When is it an actionable ground of challenge and what must be established for a challenge to succeed?
Separation of powers—legislative, executive and judiciary
Separation of powers—legislative, executive and judiciarySource of the doctrine of the separation of powersThe origins of the doctrine of the...
Grounds of judicial review—illegality
Grounds of judicial review—illegalityOverview of the illegality groundIllegality is the first of the grounds on judicial review set out by Lord...
What is a public authority?
What is a public authority?There is no single, universal answer to the question whether a particular organisation is treated, in law, as a public...
Grounds of judicial review—procedural impropriety
Grounds of judicial review—procedural improprietyProcedural impropriety as a ground of judicial review‘Procedural impropriety’ is the last of the...
Judicial review—interested parties and interveners
Judicial review—interested parties and intervenersInterested partiesIn the context of judicial review, an interested party is 'any person (other than...
Parliamentary supremacy—implied repeal
Parliamentary supremacy—implied repealEssential to Parliament’s legislative supremacy is the principle that Parliament is not bound by its...
What is the legal basis and effect of revoking UK legislation?
Grounds of judicial review—breach of legitimate expectation
Grounds of judicial review—breach of legitimate expectationThe ground of challenge based on legitimate expectations is designed to hold a public...
Royal Charters
Royal ChartersWhat is a Royal Charter?The term 'Royal Charter' has transformed over time. Originally, a Royal Charter was a procedure by which the...
Costs for judicial review—general principles
Costs for judicial review—general principlesGeneral rule on costs in judicial reviewThe general rule in relation to costs in judicial review, as in...
Judicial review—what it is and when it can be used
Judicial review—what it is and when it can be usedWhat is judicial review?Judicial review is a process by which the courts exercise a supervisory...
Judicial deference and the margin of appreciation
Judicial deference and the margin of appreciationJudicial deference is also known as the principle that 'respect is a central concept in judicial...
Associated legal terms
Interim payment
An order for payment by a defendant on account of any damages, debt or other sum (except costs) which the court may hold the defendant liable to pay.
Litigation privilege
The privilege which protects confidential communications between lawyers, clients and third parties, when made for the purposes of or in contemplation of litigation.
Risk/Return trade off
The amount of expected return that must be sacrificed in order to reduce risk.
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