THIS ISSUE
Widespread use of mediation could make a valuable contribution to resolving many disputes before the county courts: James South suggests thinking big to reap its rewards
Mechanisms for mandatory alternative dispute resolution are already commonplace around the world: is it finally the turn of England & Wales? Thomas H Curran considers the changing landscape ahead
"In this book, James Wilson takes on very successfully the challenge of drawing together Lord Denning’s upbringing, background, influences, and career with the legal and political significance of his judicial work"
Dominic Regan highlights some key dates for your post-summer diary, & recounts the curious case of a particularly light-fingered solicitor…
While the UK’s signing of the Singapore Convention has been welcomed, how much practical change will it bring about? John McElroy weighs up the impact on parties to mediation
Anti-money laundering supervision is under scrutiny & law firms are urged to make their voices heard: Julie Norris examines the potential options for change
Before taking refuge in his beach hut, Ian Smith serves up a summer smorgasbord of Parliament, bias & demotion
A funny business; Dodgy service; Cleaner notaries; Latest FPR PD update
The calculation of child maintenance for parents in higher income brackets has been clarified—if not simplified—by the High Court: Catherine Doherty sets out what this means for family practitioners
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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