THIS ISSUE
Why the coronavirus excuse for delay won’t hold water with the commercial courts for much longer, according to Sarah Murray
The Post Office scandal is just one example of miscarriage of justice in a system which is no longer fit for purpose, says Jon Robins
With all the chaos of remote working, home schooling and other disruptions during the pandemic, it is not surprising that lawyers and litigants struggling with deadlines have cited COVID-19 as an excuse, Sarah Murray, head of dispute resolution at Stevens & Bolton, writes in this week’s NLJ.
The shocking wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters has been described as ‘the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history’.
Gaps in provision remain as Domestic Violence Bill clears final hurdle
Barristers and advocates have warned against widespread adoption of remote hearings post-pandemic.
The High Court has clarified that a test for capacity from an 1870 case remains good law, in a bitter wills dispute between two siblings.
Proposals to allow electronic versions of bills of lading, bills of exchange and other documents have been launched by the Law Commission.
Lawyers welcomed the news that the European Parliament ratified the UK’s Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the EU last week, but warned questions remained unresolved.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Hugh James—Phil Edwards
Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire
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Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe
Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire
DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr
Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London
NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
David Lammy, Ellie Reeves and Baroness Levitt have taken up office at the Ministry of Justice, following the cabinet reshuffle
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