THIS ISSUE
Judges should consider a child’s rights of ‘central concern’ when sentencing their mother to prison, MPs and Peers have said.
No-deal Brexit would have a unique impact on France, say management consultants.
Lawyers featured on Theresa May’s resignation honours list include a Court of Appeal judge, a QC and a professor.
The Bar Council will launch ‘Talk to Spot’, an anti-bullying and harassment app developed by a Silicon Valley tech company, later this month.
More support should be given to vulnerable claimants and defendants, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) said in a consultation report last week, ‘Vulnerable witnesses and parties within civil proceedings’.
Educating people about their legal rights and obligations and improving public knowledge about the justice system will be the key themes of next year’s Justice Week 2020, which begins on 24 February.
MPs face ‘unprecedented threats’, with many reporting persistent online abuse, according to a ‘snapshot’ report last week by the Institute for Government thinktank.
Many solicitors overlooking importance of business acumen
Legal technology firm InfoTrack has announced the return of its popular ‘Take me to Australia’ promotion, a prize draw to win a two-week holiday in Australia for two.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Cripps—Radius Law
Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire
Switalskis—Grimsby
Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire
Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury
Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments
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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