UK Supreme Court confirms legal advice privilege only applies to advice from lawyers

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Cookies Settings

UK Supreme Court confirms legal advice privilege only applies to advice from lawyers

January 24 2013
prudentialsmall.jpg

The UK Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the Prudential case yesterday, confirming by a majority of five to two that legal advice privilege (LAP) cannot be claimed to protect confidential communications between accountants and their clients for the purpose of requesting or providing legal advice, even in tax matters.

Unlock this content.

The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers.

To unlock this content:

Take a Free Trial or Login

Topics

NewsInternational UpdatesEuropeUnited KingdomTax DisputesJurisdictions
more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

Direct Tax
r and d - acronym from wooden blocks with letters. background hands on a laptop with blur. business concept.
Capital v revenue in R&D – isolated concerns or a future battleground? Part one
In the first of a two-part series on capital v revenue in R&D, Jayne Stokes explores these key concepts and where UK companies need to tread carefully
Jayne Stokes, June 09 2026
Direct Tax
A&M.jpg
A&M Tax continues Europe push with Sweden launch
Magnus Pantzar is set to join as managing director after spending nearly a decade as EQT’s global head of tax
Sam Sholli, June 08 2026
Direct Tax
Williams-Matt .jpg
Pillar two criticism fair despite filing penalty waiver: BDO tax leader
The OECD’s project was up for debate as Matt Williams spoke to ITR following BDO’s tax strategist survey, which uncovered increased complexity and costs among multinationals
Sam Sholli, June 08 2026
Sponsored
Sameer Nurmohamed new.jpg
Sponsored by Deloitte
Deloitte – Canada tax controversy interview
Sameer Nurmohamed, partner, Deloitte Legal Canada
June 05 2026
Sponsored
George Ankomah.jpg
Sponsored by Deloitte
Deloitte – Africa tax controversy interview
George Ankomah, partner, Tax & Regulatory Services, Deloitte Africa (Ghana)
June 05 2026
Direct Tax
global-connection-610.jpg
A taxing week: Ryan’s Svalner Atlas deal shows that size does matter
The recent spree of firm mergers and acquisitions proves that geographic scale is the name of the game
Tom Baker, June 05 2026
Direct Tax
Global digital
This week in tax: Taxand expands UK network with Unity Advisory
The big four spin-off firm becomes Taxand’s second UK member; in other news, Haynes Boone launched a UK tax practice
Tom Baker, June 05 2026
Sponsored
Hourglass on financial graphs and reports
Sponsored by Deloitte Luxembourg
Tax uncertainties arising from timing differences: key concepts and practical implications
Jean-Michel Henry and Mona El-Begawi of Deloitte Luxembourg examine the complexities created by timing differences in Luxembourg, EU, and OECD tax regimes
Jean-Michel Henry, June 04 2026
Transfer Pricing
Stephanie photo.jpg
‘TP is a team sport’: NRF’s new hire on practice-building
Stephanie Pantelidaki’s economic expertise will give Norton Rose Fulbright’s other teams ‘extra firepower,’ she says
Sam Sholli, June 04 2026
Sponsored
Map of Portugal in the colours of the national flag, bordered by the EU flag and euro notes on top
Sponsored by MFA Legal & Tech
Portugal’s housing package: a new stress test for free movement of capital?
Samuel Fernandes de Almeida of MFA Legal & Tech assesses whether Portugal’s 7.5% surcharge on non-residents aligns with the EU’s free movement of capital principle and passes the proportionality test
Samuel Fernandes de Almeida, June 03 2026
Gift this article