THIS ISSUE
With the legal system suffering from an ever-growing backlog of cases, the challenges presented by jury trials have raised questions over their suitability for the COVID-19 era.
At 11pm on 31 December 2020, EU law ceased to apply to and in the UK. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Brasted and Andrew Eaton of Hogan Lovells ask: what now?
The Supreme Court delivered a key employment decision last month when it confirmed that a group of Uber drivers had the status of non-employee workers.
The 127th and 129th updates to the CPR are under NLJ columnist Stephen Gold’s microscope in this week’s ‘Civil way’.
With nominations open for this year’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards (LALYs), now is the time to celebrate those on the frontline of social justice.
With nominations for this year’s awards now open, Fiona Bawdon & Chris Minnoch explain what the LALYs mean to those on the social justice frontline
Sheila Kumar outlines the changing face of conveyancing
Masood Ahmed investigates advertising costs in group litigation
Mark Pawlowski looks at some unusual aspects of leasehold law
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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