THIS ISSUE
John Gould holds the government to account on its (COVID-19) decision making
Sophie Kemp examines the scope for a future COVID-19 public inquiry
Suspects of crime have a reasonable expectation of privacy up until the point they are charged and this expectation is not dependant on the type of crime or characteristics of the suspect, the Court of Appeal has held
A draft remedial order to make bereavement damages available to cohabiting couples of two years or more as well as parents, spouses and civil partners has been welcomed by the parliamentary Human Rights Committee
Immigration lawyers have accused the government of using coronavirus to ‘rush through’ fee cuts when practitioners can least afford it
The former head of the Supreme Court Lord Neuberger is to take on a new presidency, this time at the Academy of Experts
Firm hires family law partner
Professor Burrows QC will be sworn in as Justice of the UK Supreme Court in a closed ceremony, on 2 June.
COVID-19 has played heavily on the minds of legal professionals, with mental health charity LawCare receiving 48 calls on issues related to the pandemic since 10 March
Researchers are looking for ways to bridge the generation gap between older and younger lawyers
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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