19 June 2025
Statutory interpretation and “wild camping”: Supreme Court upholds the right to wild camp on the Dartmoor Commons
In Darwall and another v Dartmoor National Park Authority [2025] UKSC 20 (21 May 2025), the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the public’s right to “wild camp” on the Dartmoor Commons (“the Commons”). Although the judgment only concerns Dartmoor, which is subject to specific legislation, it has rekindled a wider debate about public rights of access to nature across England and Wales.
24 April 2025
‘Freedom of Speech in Parliament’
Freedom of speech in Parliament is a key element of parliamentary privilege, protecting MPs and Lords from legal consequences for what they say in debates.
1 April 2025
Recognising and Responding to Early Warning Signs in the Public Sector
The Committee on Standards in Public Life, an independent body which advises the Prime Minister on arrangements for upholding ethical standards of conduct, has marked its 30th anniversary by issuing a report relating to the need for better recognition by public sector bodies of early warning signs.
26 February 2025
Are we ruled by lawyers or politicians?
The success or failure of a Government seldom turns on a legal principle, but there is a question as to whether this could happen in the case of this Labour Government. Why? Because the Prime Minister and the Attorney General, both eminent lawyers, have drawn a line in the sand with their absolute commitment to compliance with the ‘rule of law’.
14 February 2025
Reform of Public Inquiries: an update on the Government's initial response
Following on from Kingsley Napley’s event in January which discussed the recent House of Lords Statutory Inquiries Committee’s report, the Government has now published its eagerly-awaited response.
