THIS ISSUE
There’s a new emphasis on sharing in family proceedings, from 6 April, when communications between parties and the courts will need to be copied to the other party, in certain circumstances, NLJ columnist Stephen Gold writes in his column, Civil Way, this week
Judges could be given more power to deal with contempt of court, under proposals set out by the Civil Procedure Rules Committee (CPRC)
Squatters have rights but there is much landowners can do to protect themselves from the menace of adverse possession, barrister Alec Samuels writes in NLJ’s property supplement this week
Calling outstanding lawyers and those who know them! Nominations are open for the following International Bar Association (IBA) annual awards: the IBA Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Legal Practitioner to Human Rights, the IBA Pro Bono Award and the IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
The electronic bill of costs is likely to be extended, starting with Court of Protection bills, an Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) roundtable of specialist judges and lawyers has heard
A charity has launched a helpline for people without access to lawyers in the family and civil courts
The UK mistreated Wikileaks founder Julian Assange during his US extradition trial in February at Woolwich Crown Court, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has said
The role Lady Hale played in shaping and developing the concepts behind the Children Act 1989 is perhaps her greatest achievement, writes family lawyer David Burrows in NLJ this week
The courts and tribunals appear to be taking a more flexible approach to adjournment of cases, as the COVID-19 virus scare gathers pace
The Court of Appeal has dealt a blow to those seeking to restrict public protest by ‘persons unknown’
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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