England and Wales Case Law

Launchbury v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government & Ors

Launchbury v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government & Ors [2026] EWHC 109 (Admin) (23 January 2026)

Permission to seek statutory review was refused. The court held the planning inspector's decision on a gypsy/traveller site was a lawful planning judgment, not an arguable error of law.

• Statutory review
• Planning permission
• Gypsy/traveller sites
• Biodiversity net gain
• Landscape impact
• Flood risk

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PJSC VTB Bank v HM Treasury

The High Court dismissed PJSC VTB Bank’s judicial review of OFSI’s amended sanctions licence affecting VTB Capital’s insolvency and creditor distributions.

• Judicial review of administrative decisions
• Sanctions regime
• Licensing under sanctions
• Insolvency proceedings
• Procedural fairness
• Padfield principle

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Coventry City Council, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department

The High Court dismissed Coventry City Council’s judicial review over asylum accommodation in the city, rejecting claims based on legitimate expectation, policy, Padfield, equality duty, and irrationality.

• Legitimate expectation
• Public sector equality duty
• Padfield principle
• Rationality challenge
• Asylum accommodation
• Dispersal policy

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LL & Anor, R (on the application of) v Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

LL & Anor, R (on the application of) v Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council [2025] EWHC 2380 (Admin) (19 September 2025)

The High Court quashed Trafford’s 2025-26 council tax reduction scheme, holding it was unlawfully adopted by the Executive Committee rather than full Council.

• Council tax reduction schemes
• Ultra vires
• Rationality challenge
• Equality act 2010
• Human rights act 1998
• Discrimination

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Dana Astra IOOO v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs

Dana Astra IOOO v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2025] EWHC 289 (Admin) (11 February 2025)

The High Court dismissed DANA Astra IOOO’s challenge to its Belarus sanctions designation, rejecting Article 1 ECHR jurisdiction and finding the decision proportionate and rational.

• Economic sanctions
• Judicial review
• Article 1 echr jurisdiction
• Proportionality
• Asset freezing
• Administrative law

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TW, R (On the Application Of) v Essex County Council

TW, R (On the Application Of) v Essex County Council [2025] EWCA Civ 4 (20 January 2025)

Court of Appeal upheld the rejection of a judicial review challenge over whether a 16-year-old was a child in need under the Children Act 1989.

• Children in need
• Local authority duties
• Judicial review
• Children act 1989
• Homelessness and accommodation
• Rationality challenge

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London Borough of Islington, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary Of State For Education

London Borough of Islington, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary Of State For Education [2024] EWCA Civ 951 (07 August 2024)

The Court of Appeal refused permission to appeal against a judicial review challenge to the Secretary of State’s refusal to revoke an Academy Order for Pooles Park Primary School.

• Academy orders
• School closure
• Judicial review
• Rationality challenge
• Tameside duty
• Special educational needs (sen)

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TIMOTHY CHARLES HARRIS & Anor v THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

The High Court held that the Environment Agency breached article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive and regulation 9(3) by failing to address wider abstraction risks across the Broads SAC.

• Habitats directive
• Water abstraction
• Judicial review
• Precautionary principle
• Regulation 9(3)
• Article 6(2)

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Taj, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department

The Court of Appeal held that the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) PBS was procedurally fair on these facts and dismissed the appeal against refusal of leave to remain.

• Procedural fairness
• Points-based system
• Leave to remain
• Tier 1 entrepreneur
• Judicial review
• Rationality challenge

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JG, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Southwark

The High Court quashed Southwark’s needs assessment after finding it had ignored material expert evidence on care needs, sleep difficulties, mobility, and carer support.

• Care act 2014
• Needs assessment
• Carer's assessment
• Care and support plan
• Rationality challenge
• Statutory guidance

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