THIS ISSUE
Who will be the next Lord Chief Justice? Place your bets but be sure to read Professor Dominic Regan’s tips first, in this week’s NLJ
Former District Judge Stephen Gold covers publicans untied, divorce costs and financial remedy pilots in this week’s Civil Way
Solicitors have raised questions about the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) plans to help consumers compare the market on fees, pricing models and costs
Criminal defence solicitors have been issued with guidance as their colleagues at the Bar began a ‘no returns’ policy this week
The Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) could be granted a 12-month reprieve, following a robust response to a consultation on its future
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has made ‘swift access to justice’ one of its key goals, in its Digital Strategy for 2022 to 2025
The Court of Appeal has fired off a second warning to counsel about lack of discretion, this time in a matter concerning a former MP who sought anonymity for domestic abuse allegations
Criminal barristers have ploughed ahead with protest action, after the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) refused to increase fees and hourly rates by 25%
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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