Bona Vacantia: Access and Accountability

Speakers

Jade Gani
CEO and Founder
Circe Law Ltd
UK
Louise Sackey
Director & Founder
PPL Solicitors
Louise is a commercial litigation solicitor specialising in contentious probate and property litigation.
UK
Amy Louise-Moyes
UK Public Domain Manager
Finders International
Amy-Louise is the Public Domain Manager at Finders International.
UK
Webinar date: September 30, 2025 3:30 pm
Webinar length: 30 minutes
Type:  Recorded
CPD:

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This webinar explores the legal and ethical dimensions of Bona Vacantia — ownerless estates that pass to the Crown — and the recent decision to remove the public BV list from open display. Attendees will gain insight into the implications for genealogists, probate researchers, and local authorities, as well as the impact on transparency, estate tracing, and public accountability. The session will examine the rationale behind the withdrawal, alternative access routes, and the evolving landscape of estate management in the UK. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to navigate Bona Vacantia in a more restricted information environment.

Host

Dave Lockwood
Senior Public Sector Client Relationship Manager
Finders International
Dave is a former Deputy Decision Maker appointed by the Court of Protection in England and Wales. Dave’s experience comes from working in four diverse local authorities across London and the South East, dealing with varied services, ongoing legislation changes and increased workloads with decreasing resources; managing expectations from both the public and internal colleagues. Not only does Dave have experience of acting as a Deputy under the Court of Protection, he is also well versed in the complexities of dealing with the statutory obligation of providing funerals under the Public Health Act. Dave is also one of the founding members and former chair of APAD (The Association of Public Authority Deputies).

Supporting Documents

File Name
Type
Action
File Name:
Case Studies in Probate Genealogy Lessons from Practice
pdf
Type

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