Updates

Government to fully enforce Electronic Travel Authorisations from 25 February 2026

The Government announced in November that from 25 February 2026, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement will be strictly enforced, meaning that carriers will refuse boarding without one. Background From April 2025 everyone has been required to have digital permission to come to the UK through either an ETA or an eVisa, with some limited …
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UK Immigration in 2025: reflecting on change and looking forward to 2026

2025: A year of change in UK immigration 2025 saw a year of major changes to UK immigration policy. The Labour government described their proposal to double the settlement qualifying period to 10 years as “the biggest shake-up of the legal migration system in nearly half a century”.  Other changes include increased sponsorship costs, reduced …
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Are you ensuring compliance with the duties imposed by Martyn’s Law at your venue and/or events? 

Martyn’s Law – what is it? Martyn’s Law is the informal name for The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (the T(PP)A/the Act), which was introduced to better protect the public from terrorism. The T(PP)A imposes duties on the person responsible for qualifying premises and/or qualifying events to put in place public protection procedures and …
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Bates Wells advise the shareholders of Playter on their sale to Shawbrook Bank Limited

Scott Leonard, Helen Ingram and Lucille Moala in our Corporate team recently advised the shareholders of Playter (Imployapp Limited) on their sale to Shawbrook Bank Limited. Playter, a fintech lending proposition that provides established UK SMEs with credit lines and short term cashflow loans, is built on proprietary technology and includes ‘Ari’, its AI-enabled broker …
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TAR Network and Bates Wells launch legal guide for charities on investing in healthcare solutions

Together with the Translating and Accelerating Research (TAR) Network, we have created a legal guide for charities on investing in healthcare solutions. This guide demystifies the legal and tax frameworks, and provides case studies from a range of charities on how they have made these investments. The TAR Network brings together charities, investors, and service …
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The latest Employment Rights Bill proposals: six month qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection and complete removal of the limit on compensatory awards?

Following the recent stalemate between the House of Commons and House of Lords on a number of key provisions in the Employment Rights Bill (“ERB”), on 5 December 2025 the Government confirmed that a number of significant changes will be made to the draft Bill, including: There will also be further amendments to address the …
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EHRC Services Code: updated draft still awaiting Government approval

What is the EHRC Services Code and why is it being updated? The Equality and Human Rights Commission (“EHRC”) submitted an updated draft of its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations (“Services Code”) to the Government for approval on around 5 September 2025. It has been updated to reflect the Supreme Court’s …
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Top ten tips for charities looking to use AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is developing rapidly, creating both opportunities and challenges for charities. According to the Charity Digital Skills Report 76% of charities are already using AI in some form. As AI becomes embedded in charitable operations and digital services, it is essential for charities to understand the unique risks involved. These include ethical, legal, …
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New powers give charities another way to recover money lost to crime

Charities that have been the victims of fraud or cybercrime should be looking at the full range of options at their disposal to recover funds through the courts. People say they never forget that sickening feeling when they realise they have been the victim of a fraud or scam. When the victim is your charity, …
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Is your charity under a new legal duty to prevent fraud? 

From 1 September 2025, some charities will face a new compliance obligation under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023: the corporate offence of failure to prevent fraud. This legislation is designed to hold large organisations accountable when individuals acting on their behalf commit fraud, intended to benefit the charity or its beneficiaries, and …
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Levelling the playing field? Government launches voluntary Code for prize draw operators

Why the Code was introduced Prize draws, also known as “free draws”, have become a booming industry in the UK, worth an estimated £1.3 billion annually and attracting over 7.4 million adult participants. Unlike society lotteries, which are tightly regulated by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005 and must comply with various requirements …
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Sports National Governing Bodies and charitable status

Sports National Governing Bodies are responsible for overseeing the administration of their sports. The sports they administer vary from lucrative sports with a global audience, to more niche sports played mostly at an amateur level. Each NGB operates in unique circumstances and faces its own challenges. However, one thing that all NGBs have in common …
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