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
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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