THIS ISSUE
The Post Office scandal has thrown institutional failings in the justice system into sharp relief—and 'demonstrates pretty clearly that we have lost the plot', writes Theo Huckle QC in this week's NLJ.
With the property sector currently ‘a hive of activity’, digital conveyancing is enjoying its own mini-boom, according to Bronwyn Townsend, senior marketing manager, InfoTrack.
Emails to judges that go beyond routine case management conflict with principles of open justice, family law solicitor & NLJ columnist David Burrows writes in NLJ this week.
The PO cases bring into sharp relief serious failings & inaccessibility on both criminal & civil sides of our justice system, says Theo Huckle QC
Is it time for remedies against those who abuse email contact with a judge? David Burrows examines open justice & quasi-evidence
One-person protests & failing to comply with conditions. Neil Parpworth continues his exploration of the proposed changes to the provisions in the Public Order Act 1986
Victor Smith examines the circumstances in which a prosecution does not proceed when the accused has faced that same or similar peril before
Alec Samuels discusses the new principle for the town and village green
Where now for the civil justice system post-COVID, asks Shirley Denyer
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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