THIS ISSUE
A brave new world? In the final update in this series by Penningtons Manches Cooper, Tom Stables & David O’Brien mull the future of group actions
Nathan Peart weighs up the pros & cons of the much-discussed four-day working week: is it the right choice for the legal sector?
Change is (hopefully) coming: Alexander Edwards explores the benefits a reformed Consumer Credit Act 1974 might offer
"It is both a toolkit and a very good reference guide for practitioners faced with cases which have the unfortunate element of parental alienation"
"This book offers an abundance of knowledge and experience and provides a comprehensive breakdown of the respective legal frameworks"
Barristers will vote this week on whether to suspend their strike following an offer from the Lord Chancellor, Brandon Lewis.
An order for disclosure of documents can be made against a third party outside the jurisdiction, the Court of Appeal has held.
Lawyers will focus on the theme, ‘Time for change: action not words’, as they mark this year’s Black History Month (BHM).
Home secretary Suella Braverman is considering giving suspects anonymity to prevent ‘trial by media’ where suspects are well-known, she told Young Conservatives at the party conference in Birmingham.
The Court of Appeal began hearing the—previously interrupted—‘costs case of the decade’ this week.
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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