THIS ISSUE
Ten years ago, Sir Rupert Jackson’s civil costs review was a seismic event. How well have the ground-breaking reforms fared since? NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan takes a look at the Jackson legacy.
The use of deepfake technology is on the rise, and can look alarmingly realistic. Consequently, there is vast potential for harm. But can existing laws provide any protection against malicious use?
What exactly are reserved legal activities (RLAs), and what is meant by ‘conducting litigation’? It’s an area of the law rife with uncertainties, as shown by the recent case of Baxter v Doble.
Who put the civil into proceeds of crime cases? Civil remedies such as account freezing (AFOs) and forfeiture orders have come to dominate what was once an overwhelmingly criminal concern, Hickman & Rose partner Andrew Katzen and associate Olivia Dwan write in this week’s NLJ.
How have Sir Rupert Jackson’s ground-breaking reforms to civil procedure fared ten years on? Dominic Regan considers the work done & the work to come
Is the term ‘transparency’ an unlawful euphemism for open justice? David Burrows reviews the powers of the president of the Family Division to pilot transparency
Wearing too many hats? In this month’s brief, Ian Smith addresses the confirmation of the rule against multiple employers, lingering COVID fears at work, & civil proceedings orders
The High Court has provided welcome guidance on what exactly constitutes the conduct of litigation: Iain Miller & Charlotte Judd examine this perilously grey area of the law
Andrew Katzen & Olivia Dwan analyse what the growing dominance of civil proceedings in proceeds of crime means for practitioners
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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