THIS ISSUE
NLJ columnist Stephen Gold pulls on his wellingtons for this week’s ‘Civil way’, in which he considers new regulations affecting England’s 19,400 tenant farmers, and he doesn’t stop there
Who shoulders the blame in bribery cases? Allison Clare QC, of Red Lion Chambers, examines the ‘adequate procedures’ defence―’one of the most vexed questions’―in this week’s NLJ
The NHS pays out about £2.4bn in compensation each year, about one third of which is for legal fees, yet both clinical staff and families are left dissatisfied with the results of the clinical negligence system. A doctor shares her opinion on flaws in the system, in this week’s NLJ
With a 60,000 backlog at the Crown Court and chronically overcrowded prisons, the criminal justice system is in a parlous state, Martin Rackstraw, partner, Russell-Cooke, writes in this week’s NLJ. Could a recent case make the situation worse?
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are at significant risk of having their human rights breached by legislation to criminalise unauthorised encampments, a Parliamentary committee has warned
The clinical negligence system is causing rising costs for the NHS while ‘perpetuating a culture of blame’, according to a report, ‘The safety of maternity services in England’
Pandemic-related delays in medical treatment and operations have led to a spike in enquiries about clinical negligence, according to law firm Wright Hassall
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is looking for a psychiatrist to serve as a fee-paid medical member on the First-Tier Tribunal Health Education and Social Care Chamber (Mental Health)
The Charity Commission has set out an extensive array of guidance on COVID-19 for the charity sector
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
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
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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