Insights

The OfS regulatory case report and record fine issued to the University of Sussex for breaches of management and governance conditions of registration E1 and E2 has brought University decision-making and compliance with governing documents into the spotlight - in the wider context of freedom of speech and academic freedom obligations.

On 12 May 2025, the Government published a white paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System. The paper sets out a comprehensive plan to reduce net migration through a more restrictive and compliance-focused approach which will have far reaching implications for the higher education sector’s international offering.

As the Employment Rights Bill continues to work its way through Parliament, universities should be considering how the shift towards stronger protections for individuals will affect them and what changes they need to make to their existing practices and procedures.

The UK Higher Education sector is facing a financial crisis. Real-term declines in tuition income, volatile international student enrolment and increasing operational costs are placing HE providers under acute pressure. In response, collaboration between HE providers is being explored as a means to maintain viability.

This case arises against the backdrop of the Grenfell Tower disaster and the Government’s focus on improving building safety, culminating in the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA). The judgment provides clear guidance on how liability is allocated between developers and consultants and the retrospective application of the BSA.

Landlords can no longer slip inflated commissions into insurance rent without specific provision in the lease allowing them to do so.