THIS ISSUE
Criminal damage inflicted during public protest is an increasingly complex area, as David Walbank KC, of Red Lion Chambers, writes in this week’s Crime Brief.
The Supreme Court case of Basfar v Wong on diplomatic immunity comes under the scrutiny of Joseph Dyke and James McGlaughlin, of McNair International, in this week’s NLJ.
There seems to have been a spate of judgment embargo breaches since Sir Geoffrey Vos’s warning to forgetful, clumsy or errant lawyers last year that those who breach ought to expect contempt proceedings to follow.
‘Kompromat, often used in Russia to keep politicians and businesspeople in line, is now frequently being submitted as evidence in the courts of England and Wales,’ writes Natalie Todd, partner at Cooke Young & Keidan, in this week’s NLJ.
The proper funding of our justice system, so neglected by recent governments, is a vital issue for our society and it demands urgent action, says Geoffrey Bindman KC
In this month’s employment brief, Ian Smith breaks new ground courtesy of the Court of Appeal & navigates some tricky traps for unwary employees
Can the trafficking & slavery of a domestic worker be considered ‘commercial activity’? Joseph Dyke & James McGlaughlin examine the Supreme Court’s judgment in Basfar v Wong
Neil Parpworth considers the limits of the court’s leniency when it comes to breaching an embargo
Khawar Qureshi KC looks back on the key public international law cases before the English courts in 2022
David Walbank KC reports on the increasingly thorny issue of criminal damage inflicted through public protest
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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