Sentencing Act 2026 and Interplay with Sentencing Guidelines and Bail Act 1976

St Philips Barristers has published an analysis of the Sentencing Act 2026 and its interaction with existing sentencing guidelines and the Bail Act 1976. The article examines how the new sentencing provisions operate alongside established guidelines frameworks and bail considerations for criminal proceedings.

Identical Twins DNA Test Paternity Ruling

The Court of Appeal in England and Wales ruled that DNA testing cannot determine which identical twin fathered a child when both had intercourse with the mother within four days of each other. The court removed parental responsibility from the twin currently on the birth register, stating it was not possible to identify the biological father between the two genetically identical brothers. The matter has been referred back to a lower court for further determination of parental responsibility.

LLC Eurochem North-West-2 v Tecnimont - Anti-suit Order Enforcement

The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal and confirmed that English courts have jurisdiction under section 42 of the Arbitration Act 1996 to enforce arbitral tribunal peremptory orders granting interim anti-suit relief. The ruling clarifies that such relief can be directed at foreign proceedings brought in breach of a London-seated arbitration agreement, including Russian anti-arbitration proceedings.

BSC v Secretary of State for the Home Department - eVisa Fettering Discretion

The High Court (Eyre J) in R (BSC and another) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 705 (Admin) held that the Home Secretary's eVisa-only policy does not unlawfully fetter her discretion under the Immigration (Biometric Registration) Regulations 2008. The judge introduced a 'non-abdicable power' test: the rule against fettering discretion only applies to powers that legislation requires authorities to exercise, not to choices about form of implementation.

Williamson County Water Rate Comment Opportunity

The Tennessee Regulatory Authority announced a public comment period for Williamson County residents regarding the Limestone Water Rate Increase case. The comment opportunity opened on March 31, 2026. This is a consultative announcement allowing affected residents to submit feedback on the proposed rate adjustment.

Stricter VASP Entry and AML Rules

The Financial Services Commission of Korea proposed amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information to strengthen VASP registration requirements and AML duties. Key changes include expanded major shareholder scrutiny, new financial soundness requirements (200% debt ratio cap), and extension of the travel rule to transactions below KRW 1,000,000. The FSC seeks public comment on these proposals.

Scam Alert - Fraudulent Banking Websites

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority issued a scam alert warning the public about fraudulent websites and phishing scams targeting customers of four Hong Kong banks: The Bank of East Asia, Shanghai Commercial Bank, Chong Hing Bank, and OCBC Bank (Hong Kong). The HKMA reminded the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks requesting sensitive information such as login passwords or One-Time Passwords.

HKMA Bulletin on Hong Kong Bond Market

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority published Bulletin Issue 01/2026, which contains a statistical article titled 'The Hong Kong Bond Market in 2025'. The bulletin provides an overview and analysis of bond market activity in Hong Kong for 2025. This is an informational publication with no new regulatory requirements.

February 2026 Monetary Statistics - Deposit and Loan Growth

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority published February 2026 monetary statistics showing total deposits with authorized institutions increased 0.9% month-over-month. Hong Kong dollar deposits decreased 0.2% while foreign currency deposits increased 1.7%. Renminbi deposits rose 3.6% to RMB1,029.3 billion, with cross-border trade settlement remittances totaling RMB866.5 billion.

Residential Mortgage Survey Results - February 2026

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority released February 2026 residential mortgage survey results showing a 10.8% month-on-month decline in mortgage approvals to HK$29 billion. Applications decreased 7.5% to 8,125, while drawn loans fell 24.4% to HK$16.4 billion. The mortgage delinquency ratio remained low at 0.13% and outstanding mortgage loans increased 0.2% to HK$1,926.3 billion.