THIS ISSUE
Norman Hartnell discusses the current delays in court & how mediation could help relieve the situation
From business rentals to bedtime reading, former District Judge Stephen Gold has the law covered and under control, in this week’s Civil way
NLJ shines a spotlight on dispute resolution in family cases this week, with a double helping of writing on the topic
Is the law in place and ready to protect people who are forcibly displaced by environmental disaster? Sharmista Michaels, barrister at 5 St Andrews Hill, investigates, in a fascinating article in this week’s NLJ
An employment tribunal has given the first UK ruling on indirect associative discrimination. Charles Pigott, professional support lawyer, Mills & Reeve, reports on a fascinating case, in this week’s NLJ
Recent research among 2,000 CILEX lawyers found many have faced discrimination and unfair treatment by their solicitor colleagues
Is the law in place to protect people who are forcibly displaced by environmental disaster? Sharmistha Michaels investigates
Legal professionals are eyeing up their next move, with 43% currently seeking a new role and a further 22% considering making a move, a survey by south London and Kent law firm Thackray Williams and legal recruiters LR Legal has found
A shortage of lawyers and judges, and the poor condition of cold, leaky court buildings, are holding back efforts to reduce the backlog, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett has warned
Gun smugglers are to be targeted by a specific sentencing guideline, effective from 1 January 2022
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
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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