UK High Court Finds Government Failed to Properly Assess Gene-Editing Deregulation
A High Court legal challenge led by advocacy group Beyond GM has found that the Government failed to understand the significant consequences – for farmers, businesses, consumers and the organic sector – of removing transparency and labelling for gene-edited crops and foods.
The judgment found that government advisors gave the Farming Minister incorrect advice about his own legal powers. This led to a failure to investigate the real consequences of removing safeguards on gene-edited organisms. Passing the regulations on this basis was found to be unlawful.
The judgment notes that the absence of mandatory labelling and traceability within the current law places additional significant burdens on organic and non-organic supply chains, making it more difficult and costly for farmers, food businesses and consumers who seek to avoid genetically modified crops and foods derived from them, as well as for those who wish to export food and other agricultural products to the EU.
The current regulatory framework will now need to be reconsidered.
Advocacy group Beyond GM is the UK’s leading independent voice on genetic technologies in food, farming and environment. Co-claimants included two organic farmers and an ethical consumer.
Source: Beyond GM (4 June 2026)