High Court grants urgent hearing on Labour’s inheritance tax overhaul January 28, 2026 The High Court has green-lit an urgent hearing at the High Court over the government’s inheritance tax raid on agricultural assets and family firms. The proposed changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) represent one of the biggest shifts in UK inheritance tax (IHT) policy in decades, following the government’s initial [...]
High Court showdown over alleged ‘procedural irrationality’ in Gatwick runway £2.2bn approval January 20, 2026 The Secretary of State has been accused of reaching “inherently contradictory and irrational” conclusions by finding Gatwick’s second runway would have a “significant adverse effect” on the climate, the High Court heard this morning. The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, greenlit plans for Gatwick Airport’s second runway, the Northern Runway, in September. This was “the largest [...]
Gatwick’s £2.2bn second runway to be challenged in court January 19, 2026 Gatwick Airport’s £2.2bn second runway will be the focus of a legal challenge at the High Court on Tuesday, as an environmental group opposes the government’s decision to grant the approval. In September, Gatwick Airport’s second runway, the Northern Runway, received development consent from the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander. Gatwick has had a northern runway [...]
Judge refuses BHP permission to appeal landmark case January 19, 2026 The High Court has refused mining giant BHP permission to appeal a ruling that found it liable for a dam disaster under both environmental law and the Brazilian civil code. The Melbourne-HQ’d group was sued in London over a deadly dam disaster in Brazil in 2015. Law firm Pogust Goodhead launched a group lawsuit in [...]
Legal firm faces “material uncertainty” after publishing overdue accounts January 7, 2026 After months of delay, the law firm behind the largest action to hit the London High Court published its 2023 financial accounts, which revealed an annual loss of £95m. Pogust Goodhead’s 2023 account, published on Companies House on Monday, four months past the deadline, showed turnover decreased sharply to £3,607,387, down from £53,077,800 in 2022. [...]
Steve Coogan’s TV maker returns to profit before High Court settlement January 6, 2026 Steve Coogan’s production company returned to profit ahead of settling a High Court defamation claim, it has been revealed. Baby Cow Productions has reported a pre-tax profit of £358,628 for the year to 31 March, 2025. The profit comes after the business posted a pre-tax loss of £374,081 for the prior 12 months. New accounts [...]
River Island sets sights on profit after losing almost £125m December 8, 2025 River Island lost almost £125m in the year before being saved from the brink of administration, it has been revealed. The high street retailer’s restructuring plan, which was approved in August, involved 33 stores being closed with the loss of hundreds of jobs. The proposal also included rents being reduced – some to zero – [...]
HP pursues Lynch estate for £1.35bn as tech giant forks out £150m in legal bills November 18, 2025 The High Court heard that the estate of British technology tycoon Mike Lynch should be liable to pay more than £1.35bn to Hewlett-Packard (HP) over fraud linked to the sale of Autonomy. Lynch, who founded software firm Autonomy in 1996, sold it to HP in 2012 for $11.1bn, but after a bust-up over allegations of [...]
High Court finds BHP liable for Brazil’s worst environmental disaster November 14, 2025 Mining giant BHP has been found liable for a dam disaster under both environmental law and the Brazilian civil code, in a significant ruling handed down by the High Court. The case stems from a deadly dam disaster in Brazil. On 5 November 2015, the Fundao dam in the south-eastern part of Brazil, operated by [...]
Can Donald Trump really sue the BBC for $1bn? November 11, 2025 US President Donald Trump’s threat to sue the BBC for $1bn over the misleading edit of a Panorama programme has thrown the Corporation into crisis. But it’s unclear if the US President’s threats have any legal substance. Trump made his legal threat after a BBC memo was leaked, revealing that its Panorama programme had spliced [...]