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13 May 2022 / David Locke
Issue: 7978 / Categories: Features , Human rights , International , Constitutional law
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Roe v Wade: Judicial insurrection?

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Roe v Wade: the situation in the US highlights a gross lack of understanding of law and process, and its exploitation for political purposes, says David Locke

It would be wrong to view the recent leaking of the draft majority judgment of the Supreme Court, prepared by Justice Samuel Alito in the Dobbs case as being just a very American scandal (Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization concerns the State of Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks. The State of Mississippi has asked the Supreme Court also to overrule the 1973 case of Roe v Wade). It is a composite of issues which have relevance in this jurisdiction. The manipulation of an electorate though the use of disinformation is hardly a new concept. A modern gloss on the practice would be to label something as ‘disinformation’ and restrict its dissemination, thereby allowing a preferred view to promulgate. Matters of law are not protected from being used in this fashion, amplifying problems caused by general ignorance. The

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NEWS
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
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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