THIS ISSUE
The Access to Justice Foundation funds law centres, local citizens’ advice, independent advice agencies, pro bono projects and national charities.
With judicial review under scrutiny from the Independent Review of Administrative Law (IRAL), Michael Zander examines the responses of the many professional and public bodies, research organisations and practitioners, who overwhelmingly declared there is no case for legislative reform of judicial review.
The much-anticipated consultation on potential changes to Guideline Hourly Rates runs until the end of March 2021.
Cases in limbo, lives put on hold, COVID-19 outbreaks in the courts. Writing in NLJ this week, columnist Jon Robins begins a special series on the impact of the pandemic on the justice system.
Greg Hodder outlines the role & impact of the Access to Justice Foundation
In the first of three articles, Julian Chamberlayne sets the debate on guideline hourly rates in context & discusses Civil Justice Council recommendations for reform
Felicity Gerry QC on why being trauma-informed is an issue for court integrity
Alec Samuels explores a basic concept of criminal law
Nicholas Dobson navigates the murky world of free speech & cancel culture
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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