THIS ISSUE
In this week’s 'Civil Way', former District Judge Stephen Gold shines his light on the debt respite scheme, specifically a case where a debtor benefited from a mental health crisis moratorium, rendering the eviction and sale of a flat null and void
How do we assess the standards for ministerial misconduct, and how can we maintain public trust in government when ministers including prime ministers behave badly or don’t seem to care?
How to assess the standards for ministerial misconduct? John Gould reports on the slippery slope leading to loss of public trust
Litigation PR: Justin Penrose reports on a key tool for controlling the narrative of disputes
Taking action on culture change in the legal sector is imperative says Elizabeth Rimmer
Francisco Alvarez & Shofiq Miah on the importance of bearing in mind the taxation consequences when dealing with damages
Ruth Broadbent examines the scope of the inquiry into Sarah Everard’s murder: what exactly does it seek to prevent, & how far is it willing to go?
Catherine Taskis QC & Michael Ranson explore key public law principles of reasonableness for property practitioners
Has the SFO’s pursuit of corporate scalps undermined its original mission? Neil Swift reports on its successes & shortcomings
Beware the moratoria; Look, no update!; Loadsavouchers; Family security; Credit hire back
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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