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08 April 2022
Issue: 7974 / Categories: Legal News , Expert Witness
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NLJ this week: Expert witness special―switching, suing & finding the magic number

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It’s all about expert witnesses in NLJ this week, with a special supplement covering the latest topics of note, from switching horses mid-race (expert mid-case) to calculating amounts of lost pension and experts’ exposure to professional negligence actions

Dr Chris Pamplin, editor of the UK Register of Expert Witnesses, looks into the court’s power to allow a party to change its expert witness, and how far back this power can reach. He covers a significant case on this issue, involving a fire at a hotel, that was handed down last summer as well as surveying a range of pre-existing caselaw on the subject.

Forensic accountant Rakesh Kapila, of Sim Kapila, covers the crucial role of the expert accountant when assessing lost pension rights in various forms of litigation. Pensions have become increasingly complex over the years. Kapila explains some methods for evaluating losses. 

Mark Solon, chairman, Wilmington Legal & founder, Bond Solon, looks into the High Court’s dismissal of a professional negligence case against a medical expert (Radia v Marks). This has been a source of concern for experts since the 2011 case of Jones v Kaney. Now, Solon writes, they ‘may breathe a sigh of relief’.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

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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