The King’s Speech was delivered on 13 May 2026, setting out the government’s legislative programme for the new parliamentary session. It includes 37 bills, many with direct implications for legal practice across criminal, civil, commercial, immigration, property and public law.
For solicitors, this is the most significant legislative agenda in years. Several of the proposed bills would change how courts operate, how cases are tried, how firms onboard clients and how regulatory bodies function. This article identifies the key reforms that practitioners should track.
This is the widest-impact legal story today. It touches courts modernisation, proposed changes to jury trials, digital identity, immigration and asylum reform, housing and leasehold changes, competition reform and national security legislation. Practitioners across almost every area of law will find something relevant in this programme.
Courts Modernisation Bill
The centrepiece for justice reform is the Courts Modernisation Bill. It proposes changes to the criminal courts and tribunals system in England and Wales. The most controversial element is the introduction of judge-only trials for certain offences, reportedly limiting jury trials to cases carrying sentences of three years or more.
The bill is designed to address the criminal courts backlog. However, any restriction on jury trial is constitutionally significant and will face intense scrutiny during its passage. Criminal practitioners, defence solicitors and advocates should watch for the formal bill text and explanatory notes. We cover this in more detail in a separate article.
Public Office (Accountability) Bill
Also known as the Hillsborough Law, this bill would establish a legal duty of candour and assistance for public officials at inquiries and investigations. It also proposes a new offence of misleading the public. Both provisions have been carried over from the previous session and have completed committee stage in the House of Commons.
Public law practitioners and those advising public bodies should prepare for new compliance obligations if the bill passes.
Digital Access to Services Bill
Digital ID proposals return in this legislative programme. The bill would establish a legal framework for digital identity, including digital right-to-work checks. Reporting suggests the scheme would be voluntary rather than mandatory.
This has practical implications for law firms, particularly around client onboarding, AML checks and identity verification. Compliance teams should monitor the detail as the bill progresses.
Immigration and asylum reform
A new Immigration and Asylum Bill will implement Home Office proposals to streamline decision-making, scale up removals, tighten ECHR application in immigration cases and reform modern slavery legislation. Appeal rights may also be restricted.
Immigration solicitors and firms with asylum practices should expect significant procedural changes. The interaction with ECHR obligations will be closely watched by public law and human rights practitioners.
Housing and leasehold reform
The legislative programme includes leasehold and commonhold reform alongside social housing measures. A Remediation Bill would boost powers for regulators and close loopholes to accelerate removal of unsafe cladding from buildings.
Property solicitors, conveyancers and housing practitioners should track both bills. Leasehold reform has been anticipated for some time, and the detail of any commonhold provisions will be significant for residential conveyancing practice.
Competition Reform Bill
The government plans to reform the Competition and Markets Authority, making investigations faster and more predictable while reducing burdens on businesses. A separate Regulating for Growth Bill addresses what the government views as a complex and risk-averse regulatory system.
Commercial solicitors, M&A teams and competition specialists should review the competition reform proposals carefully. Changes to merger control timelines and CMA powers would directly affect deal structuring and regulatory risk assessment.
European Partnership Bill
A bill providing a framework to adopt EU rules where the government strikes deals with Brussels. The scope and detail will determine how far this extends into areas such as financial services, product standards and data protection.
In-house counsel, trade lawyers and firms advising on cross-border regulatory compliance should monitor this closely.
National security legislation
The speech signals further national security legislation, including measures to address threats from hostile state actors and proxies. A Police Reform Bill will also reduce the number of police forces and create a National Police Service for organised crime and terrorism.
Other notable bills
The Small Business Protections Bill proposes maximum 60-day payment terms and mandatory 8 per cent interest on late payments. An Enhancing Financial Services Bill would modernise lender regulation. A Northern Ireland Troubles Bill continues the legacy legislation that was the subject of the recent Supreme Court judgment.
Practical points for solicitors
The King’s Speech sets a direction. Bills are proposals, not law. Practitioners should avoid advising clients as though these measures are enacted until formal bill texts, explanatory notes and departmental guidance are published.
That said, the legislative programme signals where compliance obligations, client needs and practice development opportunities will emerge over the next 12 to 18 months. Firms should identify which bills affect their core practice areas and begin preparing now.