This monthly legal update provides a summary of recent legal and regulatory developments relevant to Quality, Environmental, Information Security and Health and Safety. The content is provided by Assent Risk Management to support organisations in identifying changes that may affect their legal and regulatory obligations.
Each update includes the title, date, country, category, potentially relevant standards and industries or sectors, a summary of the change and a link to the relevant legislation or official source.
The standards and industry information is provided as a guide to help organisations assess relevance. Organisations should review each update in the context of their own activities, locations and legal obligations to determine whether the legislation applies to them. Where an update is applicable, organisations should consider whether their legal register, policies, procedures, risk assessments, controls, training or other compliance arrangements need to be reviewed or updated.
The Tobacco and Vapes (2026 Act) (Commencement No.1) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026
- Date: 3 August 2026
- Country: Northern Ireland
- Category: Other
- Standards: ISO 45001, ISO 9001
- Industries and sectors: Retail, hospitality, leisure, healthcare, organisations selling tobacco, vaping or nicotine products
- Status: Pending, 29 October 2026
This Order brings into operation on 29 October 2026 section 87 of, and Schedule 10 to, the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. This extends certain provisions relating to the registration of tobacco retailers so that they also apply to retailers of vaping products and nicotine products.
Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/152/note
The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Extension to Unconnected Multiple Employer Schemes and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
- Date: 4 August 2026
- Country: Northern Ireland
- Category: Employment
- Standards: ISO 9001
- Industries and sectors: Employers in Northern Ireland, organisations operating occupational pension schemes, pension providers and administrators
- Status: Active
The Pension Schemes Act 2021 introduced the legislative framework for collective money purchase pension schemes, but limited them to single or connected employers. These Regulations remove that exclusion to enable schemes that can be used by unconnected employers, and put in place a new authorisation and supervision regime for them.
Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/151/contents
The Criminal Justice (Sentencing) (Licence Conditions) (Amendment and Revocation) Order 2026
- Date: 10 August 2026
- Country: UK
- Category: Other
- Standards: ISO 9001
- Industries and sectors: Employers of individuals subject to licence conditions, public sector, justice and probation services and relevant regulated organisations
- Status: Active
This Instrument amends the Criminal Justice (Sentencing) (Licence Conditions) Order 2015 to simplify and restructure the existing standard licence conditions to improve clarity and accessibility, and to introduce a new standard licence condition relating to passport disclosure and control.
Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/911/contents/made
The Victims and Courts Act 2026 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026
- Date: 12 August 2026
- Country: UK
- Category: Other
- Standards: ISO 9001, ISO 45001
- Industries and sectors: Public sector, justice and probation services, organisations supporting victims and organisations working with vulnerable people
- Status: Active
Regulation 2 brings into force certain provisions of the 2026 Act. Those provisions introduce sections 44M (power to disclose information to victims) and 44O (saving for other powers of provider of probation services) into the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, together with other provisions of the 2026 Act necessary to bring those sections into force.
Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/918/contents/made
The Crime and Policing (2026 Act) (Commencement No. 1) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026
- Date: 13 August 2026
- Country: Northern Ireland
- Category: Other
- Standards: ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001
- Industries and sectors: Education, childcare, healthcare, social care, charities, organisations working with children or vulnerable adults
- Status: Pending
This Order brings into operation section 140 of the Crime and Policing Act for the purpose of removing the supervision exemption from regulated activity. Regulated activity, broadly speaking, includes work (paid or unpaid) which involves close interaction with children or vulnerable adults.
Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/153/contents
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 3) (England) Regulations 2026
- Date: 20 August 2026
- Country: England
- Category: Other
- Standards: ISO 9001, ISO 45001
- Industries and sectors: Schools, education providers, pupil referral units and organisations providing services to schools
- Status: Active
These Regulations are the third commencement regulations made under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, bringing provisions into force in relation to England only. Regulation 2 brings section 34 (allergy safety policy for pupils at schools) fully into force on 1 September 2026, requiring schools in England to have, review and publish an allergy safety policy having regard to statutory guidance.
Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/933/contents/made
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
- Date: 27 August 2026
- Country: England
- Category: Other
- Standards: ISO 9001, ISO 45001
- Industries and sectors: Pupil referral units and education providers
- Status: Active
These Regulations amend the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Regulations 2026. Regulation 2 provides that section 67 of the Act is only commenced on 1 September 2026 in so far as it applies to pupil referral units in England.
Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/941/contents/made
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2026
- Date: 27 August 2026
- Country: UK
- Category: Other
- Standards: ISO 45001, ISO 9001
- Industries and sectors: Education, childcare, youth services, healthcare, social care, charities and organisations working with children
- Status: Active
Regulation 2 brings into force section 139 (safeguarding vulnerable groups: regulated activity) of the 2026 Act. Section 139 removes the provisions within Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 which take supervised roles out of regulated activity in the child workforce. Those who work closely and frequently with children in England and Wales are therefore in regulated activity whether they are supervised or not, and such roles can be subject to the highest level DBS check.
Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/939/contents/made
Staying Compliant
Keeping your legal and regulatory information up to date is an important part of maintaining an effective management system. We recommend reviewing the updates in this month's briefing and assessing whether any changes apply to your organisation.
Where relevant, ensure that changes are reflected in your legal register and compliance documentation, and that any necessary updates to policies, procedures, risk assessments, controls or training are implemented and communicated to those affected.
Management system standards including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001 require organisations to determine applicable legal and other requirements and evaluate compliance with those requirements.
About This Update
This legal update is provided by Assent Risk Management. You can view their full library of legal briefings at assentriskmanagement.co.uk/category/legal-briefing.