England and Wales Case Law

South East Water Ltd, R (On the Application Of) v Water Services Regulation Authority

South East Water Ltd, R (On the Application Of) v Water Services Regulation Authority [2026] EWHC 479 (Admin) (02 March 2026)

The High Court refused South East Water’s application for interim relief to stop Ofwat publishing a proposed enforcement decision and penalty notice.

• Interim injunctions
• Judicial review of regulatory decisions
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Procedural fairness
• Predetermination
• Statutory interpretation

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Birmingham City Council v Persons Unknown (Re Protests in Support of the Bin Workers' Strike)

Birmingham City Council v Persons Unknown (Re Protests in Support of the Bin Workers' Strike) [2026] EWHC 373 (KB) (20 February 2026)

The High Court authorised alternative service on unknown protesters and granted Birmingham City Council a limited interim injunction against trespass and obstruction at waste depots and on city roads.

• Service of proceedings on persons unknown
• Alternative service
• Interim injunctions
• Trespass
• Private nuisance
• Public nuisance

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Richard James Prior & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Police Federation of England and Wales

The High Court held that PFEW’s suspension and disciplinary decisions against Mr Prior were unlawful, and that sanctions on Mr Cooke’s speech lacked Article 10 justification.

• Judicial review of statutory bodies
• Procedural fairness
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Suspension and disciplinary procedures
• Delegation of statutory powers
• Proportionality

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The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge v Persons Unknown

The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge v Persons Unknown [2025] EWHC 2330 (KB) (12 September 2025)

The High Court granted summary judgment and final injunctive relief restraining threatened trespass and nuisance by persons unknown on specified Cambridge University sites.

• Summary judgment
• Final injunction
• Trespass
• Private nuisance
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Freedom of assembly (article 11 echr)

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Myhill v General Medical Council

Myhill v General Medical Council [2025] EWHC 1744 (Admin) (09 July 2025)

High Court dismissed Dr Myhill’s appeal against a GMC review decision upholding a 12-month suspension for misconduct and lack of insight.

• Fitness to practise
• Misconduct
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Right to fair hearing (article 6 echr)
• Review of sanctions
• Issue estoppel

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Tortoise Media Limited, R (on the application of) v Conservative and Unionist Party

The Court of Appeal held that the Conservative Party’s 2022 leadership election was a private act, not a public function, so judicial review failed.

• Public function under human rights act
• Amenability to judicial review
• Disclosure of information
• Political parties and public law
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Judicial-review

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Christie v Weavabel Group Ltd

Christie v Weavabel Group Ltd [2025] EWCA Civ 644 (16 May 2025)

The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against contempt findings for breaching a settlement undertaking not to make derogatory comments about the appellant’s family.

• Contempt of court
• Settlement agreements
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Abuse of process
• Sentencing for contempt
• Contempt-of-court

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M v F & Anor

M v F & Anor [2025] EWHC 801 (Fam) (02 April 2025)

The High Court held the Family Procedure Rules did not permit party publication to the public at large, but used its inherent jurisdiction to allow anonymised publication subject to child-protective conditions.

• Transparency in family proceedings
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Right to privacy (article 8 echr)
• Reporting restrictions
• Inherent jurisdiction
• Administration of justice act 1960 s.12

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Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge v Persons Unknown

Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge v Persons Unknown [2025] EWHC 724 (KB) (21 March 2025)

The High Court granted the University of Cambridge interim injunctions against persons unknown to restrain trespass, obstruction and structures at specified sites.

• Interim injunctions
• Trespass
• Private nuisance
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Freedom of assembly (article 11 echr)
• Discrimination (article 14 echr)

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Mohammed Adil v General Medical Council

The disciplinary sanction imposed on the appellant for making baseless and dangerous statements about Covid-19, invoking his professional status, was a necessary and proportionate interference with his Article 10 ECHR rights. The statutory framework and GMC guidance provided sufficient foreseeability to meet the 'prescribed by law' requirement. The sanction of suspension was appropriate given the seriousness of the misconduct, the risk to public health, and the need to maintain public confidence in the medical profession.

Source excerpt

• Professional misconduct
• Freedom of expression (article 10 echr)
• Proportionality of disciplinary sanctions
• Prescribed by law requirement
• Medical regulation

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