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31 January 2025 / Dr Victoria McCloud
Issue: 8102 / Categories: Opinion , Profession , Media , Human rights
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Hear evil, see evil, keep schtum?

206031
Retired judge Victoria McCloud gives a personal analysis of the implications of new restrictions on judges’ freedom of speech in England & Wales

‘The universally recognised Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct identify six core values that should guide each judge’s work and Retired judge Victoria McCloud gives a personal analysis of the implications of new restrictions on judges’ freedom of speech in England & Wales, namely independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, and competence and diligence. When using social media, judges should always be guided by the Bangalore Principles …’ (UNODC Guidance, Global Judicial Integrity Network, UN Doha Declaration).

Judges have the usual rights to freedom of expression, including under Art 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), now buttressed by the Nauru Declaration 2024 on Judicial Wellbeing, emphasising the human rights of judges and signed by representatives of UK judges’ groups and representatives from many other nations. The nature of the role imposes responsibilities usefully encapsulated in the core principles above. Art 10 allows laws

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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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