THIS ISSUE
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Calls for action on ethnicity pay reporting continue to grow, says Charles Pigott
Ian Smith leaves his beach hut to take shelter from the wind & consider three cases covering common ground…but each with a peculiar twist
Lucy McCormick reviews the legal regime which applies to property damage caused by riots
Sentence length, protecting yourself against a burglar in your own home and the cost of the legal aid system are among the most misreported areas of the law by the media, according to research commissioned by The Secret Barrister
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is recruiting four new Board members as two lay and two solicitor members reach the end of their terms. The Board oversees the work of the SRA in regulating solicitors and firms
A dozen law firms have signed up to the Race Fairness Commitment (RFC), adding to the 17 Magic Circle and City law firm signatories who signed the pledge in July
Lord Justice Stephens has been appointed to the Supreme Court
Inquests and inquiries into catastrophic events are beset with costly delay and duplication, pay insufficient heed to the requirements of those affected and often leave bereaved people and survivors feeling ‘confused, betrayed and re-traumatised’
Some 71% of law firms made use of the government’s furlough scheme, less than the 81% average for professions, according to independent research commissioned in July by Braemar Finance
Plans to bring Britain’s spy laws up to date, as recommended by the Russia Report, have been laid in Parliament
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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