THIS ISSUE
Opt out class actions should be made available for a wider scope of claims, the Law Society president, David Greene writes in NLJ this week
Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Michael Zander QC covers the speedy passage of the EU (Future Relationship) Act 2020 through parliament
Charles Pigott takes the measure of the ‘costs plus’ rule of thumb in age discrimination cases
Lionel Stride examines P v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust: more layers to the patchwork quilt in secondary victim claims
With advances in human rights & equality under threat, Geoffrey Bindman pays tribute to Anthony Lester & his vital contribution to their achievement
Michael Zander on the last stages of the UK Internal Market Bill
COVID-19 and the challenge of herd immunity: what role can the law play, asks Sarah Moore
A guide to surviving pensions on divorce has been published by Advicenow, the independent website (www.advicenow.org.uk) run by the charity Law for Life: the Foundation for Public Legal Education
A paid internship programme for postgraduate law students has been launched by self-employed lawyers’ group nexa law and Queen Mary University of London
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
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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