THIS ISSUE
Opposition on all sides: Michael Zander KC reports on the House of Lords Committee stage of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill
Ashley Hodgkinson, Sample Collections Manager at AlphaBiolabs, discusses hair drug testing and nail drug testing, together with the benefits of each test
Is a grant of representation necessary? Ann Stanyer advises on some alternative options for avoiding the probate process
For better or worse? Mark Pawlowski looks back on the options available to those on the end of a broken promise to marry
A claimant can ‘attend’ a hearing even if they are absent, the Court of Appeal has held.
Family lawyers have queried the value of compulsory mediation, following government proposals to make it a prerequisite to the family courts.
Bindmans co-founder Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC (pictured) scooped the Lifetime Contribution Award at this year’s LexisNexis Legal Awards, in recognition of the significant impact he has made in the legal world throughout his career.
The Department for Business and Trade has launched a major review of whistleblowing laws.
The UK legal services market was worth £43.9bn in 2022, up 6.3% on 2021, with similar growth predicted for 2023, according to research by IRN Legal Reports.
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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