THIS ISSUE
"Politicisation of the judiciary has seemed less of a problem in Britain—though we should never be complacent about it."
Lawyers shouldn’t fear judges―they’re ‘gentle’ and like ‘teddy bears’. Those are the words of Sir Rupert Jackson, architect of the civil justice costs reforms (who also confesses he sometimes saw judges as ‘ogres’ when starting out).
Law firms are generally making progress when it comes to boosting the number of women in leadership roles―but some mentoring initiatives may be backfiring.
A coalition of lawyers, police and homelessness charities has called on the government to scrap the Vagrancy Act 1824, which criminalises rough sleeping and begging.
More than two-thirds of adults below the age of 50 and earning £50,000 or more per year do not have a will, law firm Collyer Bristow has warned.
Political consensus supported by ‘robust legal frameworks’ are required to tackle climate change and other environmental concerns, Lord Carnwath has said.
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which is due to replace the current system for entry to the profession in 2021, will lower professional standards, junior lawyers have warned.
The courts and tribunals in England and Wales benefited from an extra £15m worth of repairs and improvements last year, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.
The biggest Legal Walk outside of London took place this week in Leeds, with more than 500 lawyers raising funds for access to justice causes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) software that helps law firms price their services has been launched by IT company Intapp.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig
Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire
EIP—Rob Barker
IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner
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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