THIS ISSUE
For all our sakes we cannot allow Putin & Russia to destroy the rule of law, says Geoffrey Bindman
Writing in this week’s NLJ, Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC looks at potential action the International Criminal Court (ICC) can take in relation to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
Memes circulating in Moscow about the Devil and Belarussian knitwear show the impact of sanctions on the street
The controversial law of joint enterprise was held to have taken a ‘wrong turn’ in R v Jogee, but six years on many people remain in prison despite the efforts of campaigners such as the group Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association (JENGbA), Jon Robins writes in this week’s NLJ
The legal profession is embracing diversification and new, more flexible working models, and is all the better for it, Nigel Clark, CEO of new model law firm nexa law, writes in this week’s NLJ
Ministers have offered a rise of 15% (an extra £135m) in legal aid fees for criminal defence―the minimum recommended by Sir Christopher Bellamy’s Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid―but it may not be enough to avert strike action by barristers
Walter Merricks, who is bringing a pioneering ‘opt-out’ class action against Mastercard, has won the latest step in the mammoth litigation
Lawyers have confirmed their opposition to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) proposals to reform the Human Rights Act 1998
Peers have called on family law practitioners and family professionals to submit written evidence to the House of Lords Children and Families Act 2014 Committee
The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022, which aims to improve transparency of property ownership, set up a register for overseas entities and assist in uncovering potential criminal activity, received Royal Assent on 15 March
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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