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17 July 2008 / Andrew Keogh
Issue: 7330 / Categories: Features , Public
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Crime brief

NEW GENERAL CRIMINAL CONTRACT
PROSECUTION GUIDANCE

The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2008 (SI 2008/1586). This SI brings in to force on 14 July 2008 large parts of the 2008 Act (see NLJ, 13 June 2008).

The Extradition Act 2003 (Amendment to Designations) Order 2008 (SI 2008/1586). This order adds the United Arab Emirates as a Part 2 territory under the Extradition Act 2003.

CONTRACTING
A new general criminal contract came in to force on 14 July 2008. There are a large number of changes that suppliers need to take note of:

Financial disclosure: a new power to require production of financial records where the Legal Services Comission believes the business is at risk.

Duty to have an equality and diversity policy.

A tightening up of rules against inducements making clear that only refreshments or cigarettes for immediate consumption may be given to clients.

Rules requiring compliance with audits and the introduction of “mystery shopper” surveys.

A duty to keep complete files for a period

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Cripps—Radius Law

Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

Switalskis—Grimsby

Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS
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
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
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
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’
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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