THIS ISSUE
Matthew Hoe provides some clarity over the latest Part 36 conundrum on fixed costs
We’re living in ‘the age of experience’, and that should shape the delivery of legal services, Adam Bullion, general manager of marketing at conveyancing search services company InfoTrack, writes in NLJ this week
A couple whose wish to adopt was rebuffed because of their Indian heritage have won their discrimination claim
For anyone affected by debt, poverty or homelessness, it can be a difficult time of year.
Costs lawyers have called for an urgent review of the guideline hourly rates―the baseline figures used by judges to assess the fees charged by solicitors
The Court of Appeal has quashed the convictions of three members of the Oval Four
Lawyers have been asked for their views on the first piece of regulatory guidance on artificial intelligence (AI)
A combination of technology, deregulation, market disruption and commercial pressures are forecast to cause a fall in employment in the legal services sector of 13,000 (4%) over the next seven years
The general election could spell the end for the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, lawyers say
175th Law Society President driven to promote diversity & UK PLC
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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