2024 Review of UK Insurance Law Developments

It is with great pleasure that I accept the invitation to submit a 2024 review of developments in insurance law in the United Kingdom (“UK”). In typically English lawyer fashion, I start with apologies, a qualification and a disclaimer: first, I would like to proffer my apologies for writing in English as my legal German is unlikely to meet the high standards of the Zeitschrift VersR. Secondly, whilst statutes and regulations in the field of insurance tend to apply to all four constituent parts of the UK in broadly the same way, there are different common law systems for (1) England and Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland. Case law emerging from the English courts does not set precedents for the Scottish and Northern Irish courts, and vice versa. Although the title promises insights on “UK insurance law”, my focus will be on English cases and UK insurance regulation. Thirdly, 2024 has been an unusually case-rich year largely due to a continuing stream of Covid-19 cases, and has seen a flood of new regulatory instruments and initiatives following Brexit. Accordingly, it is necessary to be brief and selective.