The Office of the Public Guardian has issued guidance aimed at policy makers in regulated markets to help their staff better deal with customers who cannot make their own decision. The guidance has been written by the OPG in partnership with the UK Regulators Network, Ofcom, Ofwat and the Financial Conduct Authority.

Read more and download the guidance on the OPG website.

The key points from the explanatory notes are set out below: 

• Rule 4 amends rule 21.4(2) of the 2017 Rules, which requires a committal application to give information to a defendant about their rights including their right to silence, to incorporate a requirement to warn the defendant of the risk of a court drawing adverse inferences from that silence if that right is exercised. This follows the decision in Inplayer Ltd. and another v. Thoroughgood [2014] EWCA Civ 1511 and aligns with the position in criminal proceedings.
• Rules 5 and 6 amend, respectively, rules 21.7 and 21.8 of the 2017 Rules, concerning hearings in contempt proceedings, in response to the decision in Esper v. NHS North West London ICB [2023] EWCOP 29.
• Rule 21.7 of the 2017 Rules is amended to require the court to consider, before the first hearing of any contempt proceedings, whether to make an order under rule 21.8(5) for the non-disclosure of the identity of the defendant in the court list. This is to prevent the utility of any subsequent non-disclosure order being undermined by the prior public notice of the identity of the defendant.
• Rule 21.8 is amended to provide that the court has a discretion to order the non-disclosure of the identity of any person during contempt proceedings, where certain criteria are satisfied. Currently, the rule mandates non-disclosure where those same criteria are satisfied, but only in respect of a party or witness to the contempt proceedings. Rule 21.8(11A) is inserted to clarify that the court’s discretion does not extend to restricting the disclosure of the identity of a defendant who has been convicted and sentenced to a committal order. An amendment to rule 21.8(13) clarifies that the judgment is transcribed and published solely where the court has made an order for committal.

Made: 10th July 2025
Laid before Parliament: 15th July 2025
Coming into force: 1st October 2025

Read the SI in full on the legislation.gov website

In a previous hearing HHJ S Jones found that a care package proposed by VX, one of SX's children, which would see SX remain living at home was not financially viable and it was in SX's best interests to move to a residential care home. This application on behalf of SX sought, on a summary basis, the revocation of the lasting powers of attorney for health and welfare which SX executed in favour of VX, BM and MS, while a submission for VX requested a fact finding hearing.

HHJ Jones finds at [12]

"It is clear to me that there is a complete breakdown in the relationship between the siblings. I find that it would be disproportionate to hold a fact-finding hearing to determine the reason for that breakdown and that, applying the overriding objective, it is proportionate and appropriate for me to make a determination today on the basis of submissions as to whether or not to revoke the lasting powers of attorneys for health and welfare executed by SX."

She then revokes all the powers of attorney in place for health and welfare but does not revoke the finance and property powers made to other family members for practical reasons, though she expects them to be disclaimed in the near future. 

Read the judgment on Bailii

The Ministry of Justice has announced proposed changes to civil fees to come into effect in April this year. While most a re rising some fees are being reduced "to ensure they remain aligned with the latest estimate of their underlying cost".  As shown below one of those fees - the hearing fee - is under the Court of Protection Fees Order 2007 which will be amended as follows:

• Application fee (Article 4) current £408: new £421
• Appeal fee (Article 5): current £257: new £265
• Hearing fee (Article 6): current £494: new £259

The full list of changes can be viewed via this link: ​Court and tribunal fees: updates from April 2025 - GOV.UK