On 15 May 2024, the Court of Appeal (CoA) handed down a unanimous judgment that a medical device manufacturer could not obtain interim relief to prevent its UK Approved Body (UKAB), BSI, suspending a certificate on grounds of safety and non-conformities before a substantive decision in the manufacturer’s judicial review claim. The judgment overturns the first instance decision granting the manufacturer an injunction and mandatory order against BSI.

The CoA judgment emphasises courts’ deference to expert regulators, particularly in matters of public health, and that courts are unwilling to restrain a public authority in exercising its powers in good faith, particularly when there is an argument concerning public health. The judgment also reaffirms the principle that the burden is on the manufacturer to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the UKAB the safety and performance of a device. Given this is the first decided case challenging the decision of an Approved Body, there are a number of implications for the UK framework and the relationship with the EU.Continue Reading Court of Appeal rules on suspension of UKCA certificates