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10 June 2016 / Jane Foulser McFarlane
Issue: 7702 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice
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Virtual reality?

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Online infringement? No…it’s infringement online, says Jane Foulser McFarlane​

In December 2015, Lord Justice Briggs published his report: Civil Courts Structure Review: Interim Report. The report reviewed the structure by which, the civil courts provide the service for the resolution of civil disputes in England and Wales. The HMCTS Reform Programme, initiated in March 2015, was based on a rationale to fundamentally reform the administration of justice generally and, in the words of Lord Justice Briggs, to break the stranglehold of paper and to have, as far as possible, a paperless court and to reduce the number of court buildings. Further innovation was to include the allocation of the work currently being undertaken by the judiciary, to case officers.

The report asserts that a model of justice should be created, which is built upon the strong, independent and trusted justice brand, but which is accessible, proportionate and segmented, transparent and accountable, built around the needs of those who use it, financially viable and future proofed, being flexible enough to keep it relevant. The report

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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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