THIS ISSUE
Neil Parpworth looks at current Downing Street shenanigans through the lens of a previous legal challenge
An alternative approach to joint expert statements could deliver a far more useful tool for judges, as Jessica Resch, Tim Giles & Maja Glowka explain
Elan-Cane: has the Supreme Court created an imbalance in rights protection between binary & non-binary genders? Jack Castle & Oscar Davies examine the ruling
William Gibson recounts some heated moments from the world of costs
Victory in the Court of Appeal: Andrew Francis tackles the enforceability of covenants
With the judiciary’s increasing willingness to be flexible on compulsory ADR, Paul Dorrans & Camilla Pratt look ahead to what may come next
Elspeth Guild & Rebecca Niblock cast doubt on government plans to use the Navy to deter asylum seekers
Divorce rules out; Service charge enforcement; E-bundle breakdowns; 167 out of 1793 may do
John McMullen presents a round-up of the latest cases on TUPE transfers
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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