THIS ISSUE
Could ChatGPT alter the rules of disclosure? In this week’s NLJ, Rosie Wild and Anna-Rose Davies, of Cooke, Young & Keidan, look at the potential impact of the famous artificial intelligence tool on disclosure.
The Birss review—the Civil Justice Council (CJC) Costs Review led by Lord Justice Birss—presents a set of proposals that will ‘unusually, be warmly welcomed’, Professor Dominic Regan, of City Law School, writes in NLJ this week.
The dispute over football celebrity Gary Lineker’s tweets captured the public imagination and backfired spectacularly on the BBC, but what if Lineker had been an employee? In this week’s NLJ, Charles Pigott, professional support lawyer, Mills & Reeve, looks into whether employers have rights to restrict their employee’s tweets or other private expressions of opinion.
Pre-nuptial contracts have been challenged in court, and survived, in the recent case of M v A. In this week’s NLJ, Sarah Jane Lenihan and Laura Couves, of Dawson Cornwell, look at the case in depth.
The Civil Justice Council has issued its final word on costs reform: Dominic Regan runs through the changes to guideline hourly rates & costs management
Are employers entitled to restrict their employees’ private expression of opinions online or elsewhere? Charles Pigott examines freedom of speech & workplace censorship
Sarah Jane Lenihan & Laura Couves examine a recent High Court ruling which has reinforced the legal landscape of pre-nuptial agreements in England & Wales
A claim that government business discussed over WhatsApp was unlawful has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal: Nicholas Dobson reports
Remote behaviour; when to reply; victim adviser guidance; A Supreme Idea.
Is alleging an unfair relationship a necessary pleading of a fact? Fred Philpott examines a recent judgment of the High Court
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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