The Supreme Court has handed down a landmark ruling on the lawfulness of a provision in a local authority's constitution which restricted voting by members on deferred applications for planning permission to those who had been present at the meeting or meetings at which the application had previously been considered. Philip McCourt set out the key points from the judgment.

Philip McCourt and Kirtpal Kaur Aujla comment on the contractual and commercial tasks ahead for local government reorganisation.

Ella Royle and Richard Barlow examine the role played by The Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations 2000 in governance in local government.

Ahead of the May 2025 elections, Geoff Wild provides guidance for officers and members on the "dos and don'ts" during the pre-election period (‘‘purdah’).

Ibrahim Hasan looks at the legal issues that must be navigated around the use of AI in local government.

Matt Lewin reflects on the Government’s consultation on reforms to the standards and conduct framework.

Since the English Devolution White Paper was published in December 2024, the first tranche of councils have taken initial steps towards local government reorganisation. Laura Hughes explains what has happened so far and what all local authorities need to be considering.

Geoff Wild provides a timely update on what disqualifies someone from being an elected member.

Local government is facing a complex and shifting operational landscape, shaped by ongoing budgetary pressures, ambitious policy objectives, and new legislative frameworks. Lawyers from the Government & Public Services team at TLT identify their top five challenges for 2025 and offer some thoughts on the best approach to tackling them.

Geoff Wild sets out the key considerations when it comes to member and officer indemnities.

Simon Goacher sets out the key findings we can take from the government's published consultation.

In the second in a series of articles on the English Devolution White Paper, Philip McCourt looks at the establishment of new councils and the drafting of their constitutions.

Peter Ware considers the Government’s proposed approach to local authority funding reform through the local government finance settlement from 2026-27.

Philip McCourt sets out some key considerations arising out of the English Devolution White Paper.

The Government’s proposals for reorganisation of local authorities in England are broadly welcome, writes Simon Goacher.

Amardeep Gill and Paul McDermott analyse the government’s English Devolution White Paper.

Lottie Winson speaks with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Amerdeep Somal, about her plans to address “accountability gaps”, challenges within the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, and the key findings and recommendations of the Ombudsman’s recently published Triennial Review.

In his latest bulletin for monitoring officers, Geoff Wild looks at how local authorities should approach the public sector equality duty.

V. Charles Ward examines recent changes to death certification following the statutory adoption of the medical examiner system, and outlines their implications for local authorities.

Peter Ware examines how the Institute of Directors’ new code of conduct for directors might be useful for local authority companies.

A clear legislative framework in relation to virtual meetings will help ensure clarity and fairness, writes Ed Hammond.

It seems increasingly clear that the Government will propose a major overhaul of local government. Amardeep Gill looks at the potential changes and sets out some key considerations.

In his latest article, Geoff Wild considers the key aspects of the public law duty to consult.

Alexander Rose, Colin Murray and Jonathan Branton examine the recent changes made to the Government Legal Risk Matrix.

The Law Commission is seeking to reform the law of burial in England and Wales, which it says is “piecemeal, complex and outdated”. V. Charles Ward looks at the background to the proposals ad whether they go far enough.

In his latest article Geoff Wild seeks to clarify when it is appropriate for members to declare interests (and when it is not) and what the consequences are of doing so.

Geoff Wild looks at the receipt of confidential information by members and the issues around its potential disclosure.

Amardeep Gill and Louise Kavanagh consider the future of devolution under Labour, and specifically what this could mean for regions within England.

In a recent article Paul Feild expressed concern that the LLG, CIPFA and Solace’s 2024 Code of Practice on Good Governance for Local Authority Statutory Officers places onerous obligations on the Monitoring Officer without consideration as to how they might deal with them. Philip McCourt, who drafted the Code, responds to those concerns and says its publication presents an opportunity to lobby for structural change.