THIS ISSUE
Mark Pawlowski outlines some of the basic do’s and don’ts when preparing for a first moot
Neil Parpworth examines a case of unfairness in the magistrates’ court
Parties brave (or foolhardy) enough to reject mediation who get their risk assessment wrong are extremely likely to face tough sanctions, as Tony Allen explains
What price justice? In a second update on the parlous state of our justice system, Theo Huckle QC explains why all of our people’s legal rights should be real and enforceable
Post-2010 & the damage done to our criminal justice system: Jon Robins reviews calls for the reinstatement of areas of social welfare law
Dr Chris Pamplin analyses the results of a major survey of the expert witness marketplace
Chief Master Shuman on her trailblazing appointment to the Chancery Division, the importance of stepping out of the comfort zone, & going back to basics on diversity: an interview with Grania Langdon-Down
A witness statement punch-up, tenants who pay double rent, and the answer to the question―does the Master of the Rolls have a heart?
Chief Master Shuman made legal history as the first woman appointed Chief Chancery Master
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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