Rule of law

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On the frontlines of the rule of law: Roger Smith applauds the work of the Open Society Justice Initiative

Is our criminal appeals system any more prepared to recognise an injustice than it was back in the ‘bad old days’? Jon Robins reports

Donald Trump, populism and the UK Attorney General Richard Hermer KC’s (pictured) recent speech on the rule of law are explored in former JUSTICE director Roger Smith’s NLJ column this week.

It does proponents of the rule of law no harm to admit to its many uncertainties: Roger Smith warns against the temptation to oversimplify

Should an immoral regime rise to power, it is tempting to think lawyers and the rule of law would act as a protective wall. But is this true? Sadly, history suggests not, as John Gould, chair of Russell-Cooke, writes in this week’s NLJ.

In a system ruled by immoral leaders, it may be fanciful to believe that lawyers can or will make a difference: John Gould considers a chilling lesson from history

In the week that the Lord Chancellor releases 1,700 prisoners early to ease pressure on overcrowded prisons, NLJ author Janet Carter pleads the case for the alternative ‘lawful & immediate remedy’ of community orders

Janet Carter on how community orders could help reduce the pressure on prisons

By diluting the judicial title, we risk interfering with the administration of justice, argues John Gould

Public perceptions matter, and diluting the judicial title undermines the administration of justice, writes John Gould, senior partner at Russell-Cooke, in this week’s NLJ

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS

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NLJ this week: Tightening the screws on JCT terminations

The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment

NLJ this week: Old rules, fresh warnings in employment law

Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes

NLJ this week: The rise of the ‘ChatGPT client’ rattles the profession

The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself

NLJ this week: Surrogacy children caught in succession gap

A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’

NLJ this week: Online safety law at a crossroads

Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design

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Rule of law

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Cripps—Radius Law

Switalskis—Grimsby

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury