diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/ConditionBuilder.tsx b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/ConditionBuilder.tsx
index b1192fca2..7c016bd76 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/ConditionBuilder.tsx
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/ConditionBuilder.tsx
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ function ConditionArmFields({
               fz="xs"
               px={6}
               py={2}
-              bg="var(--mantine-color-gray-1)"
+              bg="var(--mantine-color-default-hover)"
               style={{ borderRadius: 4, cursor: 'pointer' }}
               onClick={() => setInValues((value.in ?? []).filter((_, idx) => idx !== i).map(String))}
               title={t('certReq.condition.removeValue', 'Click to remove')}
diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/DocumentRequirementsTab.tsx b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/DocumentRequirementsTab.tsx
index 05680009d..033795186 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/DocumentRequirementsTab.tsx
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/DocumentRequirementsTab.tsx
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ export function DocumentRequirementsTab({ licenseType }: { licenseType: LicenseT
             ) : (
               <Stack gap="xs">
                 {rows.map((req) => (
-                  <Card key={req.id} withBorder radius="sm" p="xs" bg="var(--mantine-color-gray-0)">
+                  <Card key={req.id} withBorder radius="sm" p="xs" bg="var(--mantine-color-default-hover)">
                     <Group justify="space-between" wrap="nowrap">
                       <div style={{ minWidth: 0 }}>
                         <Group gap={6}>
diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/FormSchemaTab.tsx b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/FormSchemaTab.tsx
index ddeb712f1..f103b43d4 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/FormSchemaTab.tsx
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/certificate-requirements/components/FormSchemaTab.tsx
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ export function FormSchemaTab({ licenseType }: { licenseType: LicenseType }) {
             <Card key={section.key} withBorder radius="md" p="md">
               <Group justify="space-between" align="flex-start" mb="sm">
                 <Group gap="xs" wrap="nowrap">
-                  <IconGripVertical size={16} color="var(--mantine-color-gray-5)" />
+                  <IconGripVertical size={16} color="var(--mantine-color-dimmed)" />
                   <div>
                     <Group gap="xs">
                       <Text fw={700}>{localized(section.title) || section.key}</Text>
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ export function FormSchemaTab({ licenseType }: { licenseType: LicenseType }) {
 
               <Stack gap="xs">
                 {section.fields.map((field, fIndex) => (
-                  <Card key={field.key} withBorder radius="sm" p="xs" bg="var(--mantine-color-gray-0)">
+                  <Card key={field.key} withBorder radius="sm" p="xs" bg="var(--mantine-color-default-hover)">
                     <Group justify="space-between" wrap="nowrap">
                       <Group gap="xs" wrap="nowrap" style={{ minWidth: 0 }}>
                         <div style={{ minWidth: 0 }}>
diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/license-review/pages/LicenseReviewPage/index.tsx b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/license-review/pages/LicenseReviewPage/index.tsx
index 1977689ae..3c5b8f2f1 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/license-review/pages/LicenseReviewPage/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/license-review/pages/LicenseReviewPage/index.tsx
@@ -1214,18 +1214,6 @@ export function LicenseReviewPage() {
             </Tabs.Panel>
 
             <Tabs.Panel value="inspection">
-              {status === "INSPECTION_FAILED" && (
-                <Alert
-                  mb="md"
-                  color="red"
-                  icon={<IconAlertTriangle size={16} />}
-                >
-                  {t(
-                    "review.inspectionFailedBlocked",
-                    "Approval is unavailable because the inspection failed. Schedule a re-inspection, request corrections, or reject the application.",
-                  )}
-                </Alert>
-              )}
               <Paper withBorder p="md">
                 {inspections.length === 0 ? (
                   <Text size="sm" c="dimmed">
@@ -1281,6 +1269,18 @@ export function LicenseReviewPage() {
             </Tabs.Panel>
           </Tabs>
 
+          {/* Page-level, not inside the inspection tab: a license type
+              configured without an inspection detail section must still show
+              why approval is blocked if it ever lands here. */}
+          {status === "INSPECTION_FAILED" && (
+            <Alert mt="md" color="red" icon={<IconAlertTriangle size={16} />}>
+              {t(
+                "review.inspectionFailedBlocked",
+                "Approval is unavailable because the inspection failed. Schedule a re-inspection, request corrections, or reject the application.",
+              )}
+            </Alert>
+          )}
+
           {status === "PAYMENT_PENDING" && (
             <Alert
               mt="md"
diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/seafarer-registration-review/pages/SeafarerRegistrationQueuePage.tsx b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/seafarer-registration-review/pages/SeafarerRegistrationQueuePage.tsx
index 4a3787697..7c978f38d 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/seafarer-registration-review/pages/SeafarerRegistrationQueuePage.tsx
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/seafarer-registration-review/pages/SeafarerRegistrationQueuePage.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export function applicantName(r: Pick<SeafarerRegistration, 'firstName' | 'middl
   return [r.firstName, r.middleName, r.lastName].filter(Boolean).join(' ') || '—';
 }
 
-/** Submitted seafarer registrations, oldest first — click a row to review it. */
+/** Submitted seafarer registrations, newest first — click a row to review it. */
 export function SeafarerRegistrationQueuePage() {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const showDate = useDateDisplayer();
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ export function SeafarerRegistrationQueuePage() {
   const { data, isLoading, isFetching, refetch } = useListSeafarerRegistrationsQuery({
     status: status ?? undefined,
     search: debouncedSearch || undefined,
+    sortBy: 'submittedAt',
+    sortDir: 'DESC',
     take: pageSize,
     skip: page * pageSize,
   });
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
index 30b801ab3..ac497f5f7 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
@@ -352,14 +352,18 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
       ),
     [roundRemarks],
   );
-  const hasSectionRemarks = Object.keys(flaggedSections).length > 0;
-  const hasDocRemarks = Object.keys(flaggedDocuments).length > 0;
+  const hasStaffRemarks = roundRemarks.some((r) => r.targetType === "STAFF");
+  // Nothing at all came back for this round (a detail response that predates
+  // the remarks, say) — lock nothing rather than freeze the whole application
+  // with no way forward. Any remark present means the round is itemised, so
+  // only what the officer flagged opens: a documents-only round leaves every
+  // form section frozen, and a sections-only round leaves every document as
+  // filed.
+  const roundIsItemised = isAdjusting && roundRemarks.length > 0;
 
-  // A round that flagged no form sections carries no section locks — mirror of
-  // the server's fallback, without which a documents-only correction round
-  // froze every field and the applicant could not edit anything at all.
   const isSectionLocked = (sectionKey: string) =>
-    isAdjusting && hasSectionRemarks && !flaggedSections[sectionKey];
+    roundIsItemised && !flaggedSections[sectionKey];
+  const staffLocked = roundIsItemised && !hasStaffRemarks;
 
   // Sections that share a group collapse onto one step, so the stepper stays
   // short instead of showing a page per section.
@@ -862,7 +866,7 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
                             complete
                           </Badge>
                         )}
-                        {!readOnly && (
+                        {!readOnly && !staffLocked && (
                           <Button
                             size="xs"
                             variant="light"
@@ -898,7 +902,7 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
                                   : ""}
                               </Text>
                             </div>
-                            {!readOnly && (
+                            {!readOnly && !staffLocked && (
                               <ActionIcon
                                 variant="subtle"
                                 color="red"
@@ -917,7 +921,7 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
                           <StaffEvidence
                             staffId={member.id}
                             evidence={role.requiredEvidence}
-                            readOnly={readOnly}
+                            readOnly={readOnly || staffLocked}
                             onUploaded={refetch}
                           />
                         </Card>
@@ -937,7 +941,7 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
               ownerType="APPLICATION"
               ownerId={appId}
               flagged={flaggedDocuments}
-              restrictToFlagged={isAdjusting && hasDocRemarks}
+              restrictToFlagged={roundIsItemised}
               readOnly={readOnly}
               onUploaded={() => {
                 refetchAttachments();
diff --git a/libs/api/src/lib/features/seafarer-registration/seafarer-registration-api.ts b/libs/api/src/lib/features/seafarer-registration/seafarer-registration-api.ts
index 4b42681eb..87f5fef15 100644
--- a/libs/api/src/lib/features/seafarer-registration/seafarer-registration-api.ts
+++ b/libs/api/src/lib/features/seafarer-registration/seafarer-registration-api.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,17 @@ const TAG = 'SeafarerRegistration' as const;
 const LIST = { type: TAG, id: 'LIST' } as const;
 const item = (id: string) => ({ type: TAG, id }) as const;
 
+export type SeafarerRegistrationSortField =
+  | 'submittedAt'
+  | 'registrationNumber'
+  | 'lastName'
+  | 'status';
+
 export interface SeafarerRegistrationListFilter {
   status?: SeafarerRegistrationStatus;
   search?: string;
+  sortBy?: SeafarerRegistrationSortField;
+  sortDir?: 'ASC' | 'DESC';
   take?: number;
   skip?: number;
 }