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20 June 2025
Issue: 8121 / Categories: Legal News , Banking , Financial services litigation , Regulatory , Consumer
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NLJ this week: Debanking reforms mark a significant shift ahead for firms

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The rules and regulations on debanking (where a bank terminates its relationship with a customer) are due to change next year. In this week’s NLJ, David Hamilton, partner at Howard Kennedy, sets out the likely changes and explores the implications for payment services firms

Hamilton writes: ‘Since Nigel Farage’s public spat with Coutts Bank in 2023, the issue of debanking has drawn sustained public, political and regulatory scrutiny, becoming emblematic of broader concerns around financial exclusion and institutional accountability.’

The amended Payment Services and Payment Accounts (Contract Termination) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (PSPA Regulations), due to apply from 28 April 2026, aim to strengthen protections for consumers and micro-enterprises when payment firms ‘debank’ them. Consequently, Hamilton says, payment services firms may be prompted to adopt a ‘more conservative risk appetite’. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

EIP—Stuart Malcolm

EIP—Stuart Malcolm

EIP strengthens Commercial practice with a new partner

Ellisons—Francesca Brown

Ellisons—Francesca Brown

Ellisons welcomes Francesca Brown to Family team

Shakespeare Martineau—Marie Bourke

Shakespeare Martineau—Marie Bourke

Shakespeare Martineau strengthens Sheffield regulatory practice with new hires

NEWS
A wide-ranging Civil Way column highlights developments from insolvency procedure to employment law, but one case stands out for its lessons on bankruptcy, family homes and digital communications
A sprawling Intellectual Property Office battle between House of Fraser and Frasers Property has delivered a masterclass in modern trade mark law
Courts in England and Wales and Singapore are increasingly confronting complex disputes over international child relocation as families become more globally mobile
The government’s long-awaited family law reform consultation could mark a turning point for domestic abuse victims navigating financial remedy proceedings, but significant challenges remain
A new commercial court pilot giving the public access to documents used in hearings, including expert reports, is raising difficult questions about transparency and privacy
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