UK laws are a complex system that govern our everyday lives, from the way we eat, work and sleep.

Almost all aspects of your day are influenced by a UK law and they’re changing all the time.

Dr Stuart Roberts a Solicitor and Associate Professor at The University of Law, the UK's longest-established specialist provider of legal education and training in the UK, has put together his top predictions on the areas of UK law that may face significant changes in the not so distant future.

Laws in relation to sex workers

Sex work is a controversial subject in the UK and something of a legal grey area depending on where you are based.

Policy and regulation around the subject is a devolved power, with Scotland and Northern Ireland allowed to legislate separately. Currently in the UK the sale and purchase of sexual services is legal, but various related activities are criminal such as exploitation, controlling prostitution and presenting a public nuisance.

However, in recent years attitudes towards sex work and the way that it operates in the UK have been changing. In 2014, a legalised ‘red light’ district was set up in Leeds city centre, to help combat violence by regulating the situation, yet the system has come under fire from both residents and councillors.

Following this, a new proposal has been put forward to amend the law to state that the selling of sex is decriminalised, but buying it is illegal. This will help protect those who are being forced into sex work against their will.

A campaign was recently launched against the high court in a bid to change current laws around criminal convictions and applying for jobs.

Some job roles require a criminal record check, which for someone who has been forced into sex labour, can derail a future career. These women are fighting for former sex work convictions to be omitted from their criminal record, so that they can secure future employment outside of the industry.

These changes in attitudes, trialling of legal ‘red light’ districts and fights to change the law and rights for sex workers, could indicate a change in UK law with regards to sex workers in years to come.

Drug laws

Drug laws are never far from the global headlines, particularly with more than 30 US states now relaxing their laws on the use of marijuana. This change in attitude has led to some debate on whether the UK needs to amend its existing drug laws, too.

Currently in the UK, cannabis is categorised as Class B, meaning that users can face up to five years in prison and 14 years if they are supplying or producing cannabis, with both offences holding an unlimited fine.

There have already been recent changes to UK drug laws on cannabis, after parents led successful campaigns to allow children with debilitating illnesses to be prescribed cannabis-based medicine on the NHS. Overall, the nation’s attitude is changing towards the medical use of illegal drugs, especially cannabis, following the recent changes in law thanks to the cases of Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has already concluded that cannabis should be declassified. As the public chatter around the use and misuse of illegal drugs continues, this topic will not be leaving the spotlight any time soon.

Please mind the (pay) gap

In April 2018, UK businesses with over 250 employees were made to report on the gender pay gap in their business.

The publishing of these figures caused outrage across the country in some cases. The data indicated that there is a 9.8 per cent median pay gap between males and females however when a further 3,000 businesses submitted their data after the deadline, it showed an even bigger pay gap than expected: 18.4 per cent.

Despite the demand, the government has pledged to keep the reporting on gender pay gaps the same for the next five years. However, with more and more conversation around the subject, this can change, and the government could review it sooner.

The voting age

The 2017 General Election saw the highest turnout in over 25 years, with the increase being put down to young voters aged between 18 and 24, who showed a 16 per cent increase.

Many believed this was due to the drastic changes Brexit will have on the nation, causing more young people to become engaged with politics than ever before.

The current voting system means that you must be over the age of 18 to vote in England.

Several senior politicians such as Caroline Lucas and Ed Miliband have called for this to be lowered to 16, due to the rapidly changing political landscape and Brexit meaning it is important for young peoples’ voices to be heard.

With both Scotland and Wales offering the vote to 16-year-olds for devolved power votes (such as the Scottish referendum), young people in England may soon have the chance to vote themselves in crucial elections and referendums.

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