May 20, 2026
Four anti-monarchist protesters were arrested on the day of the royal wedding in 2011 to prevent an imminent breach of the peace and released without charge once the risk passed. The Supreme Court held their detention was lawful under article 5.1(c) of the ECHR. Facts The appeals arose out of...
May 20, 2026
Denise Brewster was denied a survivor's pension under the Northern Ireland Local Government Pension Scheme after her partner died suddenly, because he had not nominated her in writing. The Supreme Court held the nomination requirement unlawfully discriminated against unmarried cohabitants contrary to Article 14 ECHR. Facts Denise Brewster and William...
May 20, 2026
Residents of the nationalist Short Strand area in Belfast challenged the PSNI's failure to stop unnotified loyalist 'flags protest' parades that caused violence and sectarian attacks on their homes. The Supreme Court held the police had misunderstood the scope of their legal powers to stop such parades. Facts Following Belfast...
May 20, 2026
Two sex offenders subject to indefinite notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 challenged the absence of any review mechanism. The Supreme Court held that lifelong notification without review was a disproportionate interference with Article 8 ECHR rights. Facts Section 82 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 imposes on...
May 20, 2026
Professional gambler Phil Ivey won £7.7m at Punto Banco Baccarat using edge-sorting, persuading the croupier to rotate cards unwittingly. The Supreme Court held this constituted cheating, refused payment, and famously reformulated the test for dishonesty by abolishing the second limb of Ghosh. Facts Mr Ivey, a high-stakes professional gambler, together...
May 20, 2026
The Supreme Court and Privy Council jointly reviewed the doctrine of parasitic accessory liability established in Chan Wing-Siu, holding that the courts had taken a wrong turn 30 years earlier. Foresight of a secondary offence is evidence of intent, not a substitute for it. Facts Two conjoined appeals were heard...
May 20, 2026
UNISON challenged the lawfulness of fees imposed for Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal claims under the Fees Order 2013. The Supreme Court unanimously held the Fees Order unlawful, finding it unjustifiably restricted access to justice under common law and EU law. Facts The Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal...
May 20, 2026
Mr Austin sought to represent his deceased brother's estate to apply to revive a secure tenancy that had ended when his brother breached a suspended possession order. The Supreme Court held the statutory right to apply under section 85(2) survives death, allowing the appeal. Facts The deceased, Alan Austin, was...
May 20, 2026
The BBC challenged a Court of Session order anonymising a foreign sex offender (A) in judicial review proceedings concerning his deportation. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding the anonymity order was justified at common law and compatible with article 10 ECHR. Facts A, a foreign national granted indefinite leave...
May 20, 2026
Three prisoners challenged the Parole Board's refusal to grant oral hearings when reviewing their release. The Supreme Court unanimously held that fairness, both at common law and under Article 5(4) ECHR, required oral hearings in each case, providing comprehensive guidance on when such hearings are necessary. Facts Three conjoined appeals...
May 20, 2026
Local authorities in Merseyside and South Yorkshire challenged the Secretary of State's allocation of EU Structural Funds for 2014-2020, arguing they received disproportionately less than comparable UK transition regions. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal by majority, holding the allocation was within the Secretary of State's wide discretion. Facts The...
May 20, 2026
Two young couples were denied marriage visas under Rule 277, which raised the minimum age for sponsor and applicant to 21 to deter forced marriages. The Supreme Court held that the rule disproportionately interfered with Article 8 rights and dismissed the Home Secretary’s appeals. Facts The appeals concerned Rule 277...
May 20, 2026
Relatives of 24 unarmed civilians killed by Scots Guards at Batang Kali, Malaya in December 1948 sought judicial review of the UK Government's refusal to hold a public inquiry. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding that neither article 2 ECHR, customary international law, nor common law judicial review required...
May 20, 2026
A Times journalist sought disclosure from the Charity Commission of documents relating to inquiries into George Galloway's Mariam Appeal. The Supreme Court held that section 32(2) FOIA provided absolute exemption lasting 30 years, and that article 10 ECHR imposed no general duty of disclosure, dismissing the appeal. Facts Mr Kennedy,...
May 20, 2026
Pham, born in Vietnam and naturalised British, was stripped of UK citizenship over alleged Al Qaida links. He claimed this rendered him stateless as Vietnam refused to recognise him. The Supreme Court dismissed his appeal, holding he retained Vietnamese nationality under Vietnamese law. Facts The appellant was born in Vietnam...
May 20, 2026
Following Lehman Brothers International (Europe)'s collapse in 2008, the Supreme Court considered how client money under FSA's CASS 7 rules should be protected and distributed. The court held the statutory trust arises on receipt, and by majority that pooling and distribution extends to all client money on a claims basis....
May 20, 2026
Fiona McDonald, a vulnerable tenant with mental health issues, faced eviction from a property bought by her parents through a buy-to-let mortgage after receivers were appointed. The Supreme Court held article 8 proportionality cannot be invoked against private sector landlords seeking possession. Facts The appellant, Fiona McDonald, aged 45, suffered...
May 20, 2026
Mr Pinnock's secure tenancy was demoted following anti-social behaviour by his family. Manchester City Council later sought possession. The Supreme Court held that courts must be able to assess proportionality under article 8 before making possession orders, but dismissed his appeal on the facts. Facts Manchester City Council had granted...
May 20, 2026
Mr Al-Sanea held Saudi Arabian shares on trust for Saad Investments Co Ltd (SICL) and, six weeks after SICL's winding up commenced, transferred them to Samba to discharge personal debts. The Supreme Court held this was not a 'disposition' of SICL's property under section 127 of the Insolvency Act 1986....
May 20, 2026
Three severely disabled men sought relief from laws criminalising assisted suicide. They argued section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961 breached article 8 ECHR, and that DPP prosecution guidelines lacked clarity. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals but indicated Parliament should reconsider the issue. Facts The appeals concerned three men—Tony...
May 20, 2026
Mr Paulley, a wheelchair user, was prevented from boarding a FirstGroup bus because a woman with a sleeping child in a pushchair refused to vacate the wheelchair space. The Supreme Court held FirstGroup's 'first come, first served' policy with mere requests breached the duty to make reasonable adjustments under the...
May 20, 2026
Two cases concerned UK officials' alleged complicity in unlawful detention, rendition and torture by foreign states. Belhaj and Boudchar were rendered to Libya; Rahmatullah was detained by US forces for ten years. The Supreme Court unanimously held that neither state immunity nor the foreign act of state doctrine barred the...
May 20, 2026
Two detainees, captured by British forces during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, sued for unlawful detention under Article 5 ECHR. The Supreme Court held that UN Security Council Resolutions authorised detention for imperative security reasons, with Article 5 modified accordingly, though procedural safeguards were inadequate. Facts The appeals concern two...
May 19, 2026
Four victims of the Northern Ireland Troubles challenged provisions of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, including conditional immunity from prosecution, bars on civil actions, and the ICRIR's investigative powers. The Supreme Court allowed the Secretary of State's appeal on Windsor Framework and ICRIR grounds, dismissed the...
May 19, 2026
Foreign nationals detained by British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan sued the UK Government in tort under local law. The Supreme Court held that the doctrine of Crown act of state barred such claims where detention was carried out as inherently governmental acts pursuant to UK foreign policy during military...
August 25, 2026
National Case Law Archive
August 25, 2026
National Case Law Archive
August 25, 2026
National Case Law Archive