W, R (On the Application Of) v Hertfordshire County Council [2023] EWHC 3138 (Admin): The LA had 20 weeks from the date of receiving the original request to carry out an EHC needs assessment to issue the final EHC plan, and was late in doing so. The High Court emphasised the strict obligations in The SEND Regulations 2014, seeing these as hard edged legal duties which will be breached every time an EHC plan is issued late unless exceptions in the Regulations apply.

JSC (A Child, By Her Litigation Friend, JKC), R (On the Application Of) v Cambridgeshire County Council [2026] EWHC 68 (Admin): This case confirms that the legal deadlines set out in The SEND Regulations 2014 for the completion of EHC needs assessments are mandatory. Unless limited exceptions apply, local authorities will be acting unlawfully if they fail to meet them and staff shortages are not a lawful reason.