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16 January 2026 / Professor Emeritus Brice Dickson
Issue: 8145 / Categories: Case law , In Court , Equality , Public
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The Supreme Court: 2025 in review

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Quieter court, louder consequences? Brice Dickson analyses the output of the Supreme Court in 2025
  • The Supreme Court issued just 49 decisions in 2025, continuing a multi-year decline in caseload, while co-authored judgments became a striking feature of the court’s work.
  • High-profile cases addressed biological sex under the Equality Act 2010, public rights on Dartmoor, fair trials in sexual offence cases, and transparency in public interest immunity claims.
  • In contrast, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council delivered a record 57 decisions, generally faster and shorter than Supreme Court judgments.

2025 was the second year in a row during which the composition of the Supreme Court remained unchanged. However, Lord Hodge retired on the last day of the year; his position as deputy president was taken up on 1 January by Lord Sales, while his role as one of the two Scottish judges traditionally sitting on the court has been assumed by Lord Doherty, formerly a judge in the Inner House of the Court

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NEWS
Consultant-led law firms should prepare for closer regulatory attention as oversight evolves
Artificial intelligence may draft workplace grievances, but employers cannot treat them any differently from conventional complaints
From dishonest claimants to judicial promotions and procedural skirmishes, the latest legal developments offer plenty for litigators to digest
Fresh guidance is set to influence how courts decide whether hearings take place online or in person
County Court judges remain divided over whether landlords can lawfully force entry to carry out essential safety inspections after tenants ignore access injunctions
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