THIS ISSUE
The Internal Market Bill—how will it end? Michael Zander considers whether the Lords will allow the Bill to go through
R v Broughton: a strong prosecution case on the face of the evidence, but a quashed conviction. Alec Samuels reviews the case
Twenty years on from the introduction of pension sharing on divorce, the issue remains a hugely complex area that can spark highly emotive battles with no guarantee of equality. Yet there are signs that practitioners and the courts are starting to change their approach to the division of pensions to ensure a fairer outcome. Grania Langdon-Down reports
Nicholas Dobson searches for relief from COVID-19 by revisiting the Great Plague
Chris Bushell, President of the LSLA, sees diversity & inclusion as a key priority for the legal profession. But there’s still work to be done
Women should be protected under hate crime laws, the Law Commission has suggested
Eight more Nightingale courts, with 16 courtrooms between them, have been announced, bringing the total to 17 courts, and 32 courtrooms
A hotel group has secured a costs award of £432,000 at an employment tribunal, which lawyers believe to be one of the largest in the tribunal’s history
Legal education provider BARBRI launched its Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) Prep course to students this week, amid ongoing setbacks for the proposed solicitor qualification route
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
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
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
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