Abuse

We need robust new legislation to tackle the online advertising of prostitution, writes Lesley Manley

Robust legislation is needed to tackle the online advertising of prostitution, Lesley Manley, barrister at Church Court Chambers, urges in this week’s NLJ. New laws have been mooted, and must be ‘enforceable and effective’ and ‘avoid any unintended consequences’, she writes.

The Thirlwall Inquiry into the deaths of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, in respect of which nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murder and attempted murder, held its final hearings in March

The rise of deepfake videos, deepfake porn and unsolicited sexual images (cyberflashing) is an alarming and increasingly prevalent problem. In this week’s NLJ, Jenni Dempster KC and Maleeka Bokhari, Red Lion Chambers, look into this abuse, the harm it causes and the legal protections that exist, notably the Online Safety Act 2023.

From deepfakes to cyberflashing, 2025 must be the year to eliminate the technology-facilitated abuse of women, write Jenni Dempster KC & Maleeka Bokhari

The decision to remove the three-year primary limitation period for claims arising from child sexual abuse has been welcomed by abuse survivors, Richard Scorer, head of abuse law and public inquiries at Slater & Gordon, writes in this week’s NLJ.

Righting wrongs: Richard Scorer welcomes the removal of time limits on civil claims for child sexual abuse

Cafcass has put in place a ‘Domestic abuse practice policy’ for its family court advisors (FCAs) and children’s guardians, to reverse the current ‘contact at all costs culture’

The current law is inadequate for addressing workplace bullying, Thomas Beale, partner & head of the bullying & harassment team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, writes in this week’s NLJ

Recent high-profile cases have shown the existing laws to address workplace bullying are inadequate, argues Thomas Beale