Global Scans · Legal · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Substantive regulatory change is likely to happen in the next decade as a result of the recent U.S. Presidential election, Brexit and efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, increase trade and reduce bureaucracy while legislating for new forms of technological advancement such as robots, driverless cars and drones.

• [New] Decisive legal steps are being taken against the UK's online safety regulator, Ofcom, which faces a threat of judicial review over its alleged systemic failure to intervene and protect against the proliferation of intimate image abuse on online 'image-sharing' forums. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• [New] Regulatory Uncertainty - Pending U.S. stablecoin-yield legislation could force Ethena to restructure its core yield model, impacting demand for USDe and ENA. CoinMarketCap
• [New] The European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs warns that Turkey's EU accession process cannot move forward without democratic reforms, as shortcomings related to the rule of law and fundamental rights remain unaddressed. 2eu.brussels
• [New] Indiana's Medicaid enrolment is expected to decrease because of Garten's legislation. News-Medical
• [New] Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's government has enacted a law that could allow life prison sentences for people as young as 12 years old for heinous crimes. Everything Briefing
• [New] US regulations, specifically the GENIUS Act, impose reserve and disclosure requirements for stablecoins that could interact with Chinese regulations in untested ways. investing.com
• [New] Nearly 60% of legal professionals report poor mental wellbeing, almost 79% regularly work beyond contracted hours, and more than half could see themselves leaving their workplace within five years. Law Gazette
• [New] AI agent regulation is transitioning from proposals to enforceable law, creating concrete compliance requirements that will shape how agents are built and deployed through 2030. Remote OpenClaw
• [New] Clients are asking harder questions about how firms manage risk, regulators are increasingly focused on which policy controls work in practice, and compliance regulations for UK legal teams keeps expanding. Legal Futures
• [New] 44% of legal work could be automated using current technology. Angel Investors Network
• [New] A company budgeting a $500 million expansion in a region with Indigenous land overlaps must now carry a materially higher legal and compensation risk than was true twelve months ago. / Australia investing.com
• [New] A case brought by the EU to the WTO alleging 'nullification and impairment' of trade benefits could provide legal and diplomatic cover for the more assertive use of trade-defence tools. Bruegel | The Brussels-based economic think tank
• [New] The United States has warned that it will take strict legal action against anyone involved in trading sanctioned Iranian oil, as it moves ahead with a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz following failed peace talks with Iran. NCRI
• [New] The legal revision comes after repeated airspace disruptions caused by illegal drone operations and as China continues to promote its low-altitude economy. ABJ Drone Academy
• [New] The current administration's efforts to de-emphasize climate and social risk in financial regulation has material impacts for companies with U.S.-based financing but have not eliminated ESG as a global capital requirement. Canadian Mining Journal
• [New] AI governance spending will reach $492 million in 2026 and cross $1 billion by 2030, driven by the EU AI Act and expanding global regulation. Ethyca
• [New] Keeping tabs on developments in EU law - including through the UK Mission to the EU - will also be essential as divergence could occur when EU rules change without the UK following suit. Encompass

Last updated: 21 April 2026