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
This week's edition of Public Law weekly highlights includes coverage of the Northern Ireland Assembly's historic vote to give democratic consent to...
Pubic Law analysis: This is an important decision by the Supreme Court in holding public law and regulatory bodies to account. The Supreme Court held...
This round-up includes details of publications made by Specialised Committees established by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) for the...
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has reported that a former human rights lawyer, Phil Shiner, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment,...
The Northern Ireland Assembly has voted to give democratic consent to the continued application of articles 5 to 10 of the Windsor Framework for the...
Latest Public Law Practice Notes
UK subsidy control—ongoing cases trackerBackgroundOn 4 January 2023, the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (SCA 2022) entered into force. For further details...
Using different evaluation methodologies for different types of public procurementFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the...
Evidence in disability discrimination claimsSTOP PRESS: The Employment Tribunal Procedure Rules 2024, SI 2024/1155 (ET Rules 2024) in force from 6...
Price, payment terms and interestThis Practice Note summarises the main issues arising in relation to price, payment terms and interest provisions in...
Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (LPCD(I)A 1998, or the Act) creates...
Latest Public Law Precedents
Letter of success after pre-qualification phase—restricted and competitive dialogue procedures, competitive procedure with negotiation and innovation...
Letter rejecting a bidder after pre-qualification phase—restricted and competitive dialogue procedures, competitive procedure with negotiation and...
Letter after expression of interest—all proceduresFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023)...
Letter inviting confirmation of interest—restricted procedure and competitive procedure with negotiationFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 24 February 2025, the...
Memorandum to board accompanying anti-bribery policySummaryThe Bribery Act 2010 (BA 2010) came into force on 1 July 2011. BA 2010 applies to any...
Latest Public Law Q&As
Featured Public Law content
Methods of statutory interpretation used to resolve disputes about the meaning of legislation
Methods of statutory interpretation used to resolve disputes about the meaning of legislationIntroduction to statutory interpretationThe aim of...
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...
Direct effect of EU law
Direct effect of EU lawWhat is direct effect of EU law?The doctrine of direct effect is a fundamental principle of EU law developed by the Court 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...
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...
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...
Structure and functions of EU institutions and bodies
Structure and functions of EU institutions and bodiesThe EU’s unique institutional frameworkThe European Union is a supranational polity, and is...
Harmonisation
HarmonisationDefinitionHarmonisation, also known as standardisation or approximation, refers to the determination of EU-wide legally binding standards...
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?
The status of EU law in the UK after Brexit [Archived]
The status of EU law in the UK after Brexit [Archived]ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained.This Practice Note provides...
Indirect effect of EU law
Indirect effect of EU lawWhat is indirect effect of EU law?The doctrine of indirect effect, or consistent interpretation, is a duty that national...
What is Wednesbury unreasonableness?
Parliamentary supremacy—implied repeal
Parliamentary supremacy—implied repealEssential to Parliament’s legislative supremacy is the principle that Parliament is not bound by its...
The executive and the civil service
The executive and the civil serviceWhat is a civil servant?A civil servant is any permanent, non-political employee of central government—servants of...
What is the EU infringement procedure under Article 258 TFEU and how can proceedings be monitored?
EU internal competence
EU internal competenceThe limits of EU competencesThe limits of EU competences are governed by the principle of conferral (also known as principle of...
Free movement of EU workers and citizens
Free movement of EU workers and citizensEU workers and EU citizens enjoy the right of freedom of movement. This right is granted to EU workers in...
The four freedoms—goods, services, establishment and capital
The four freedoms—goods, services, establishment and capitalFree movement of goodsRestriction on importsScope of the prohibitionArticle 34 of the...
Associated legal terms
Advancement of education
A purpose recognised as capable of being a charitable purpose by the Charities Act 2011.
Contract administrator
The contract administrator exists in a design and build contract and is appointed by the employer to administer the contract on its behalf. It gives instructions to the contractor, issues notices and certifies payments and completion. It may be an architect or engineer. Also called ‘Employer’s Agent’.
Goods
Goods denote personal chattel and other property which may be detached from land.
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