THIS ISSUE
COVID laid the groundwork for mandatory arbitration for commercial leases: could it now be on the way for landlord & tenant disputes more broadly? Edward Peters KC & Kavish Shah set out the advantages
These are interesting times in mediation, with the courts due to reconsider Halsey (on whether judges can order parties to mediate) and the government poised to integrate commercial mediation in contested claims below £10,000 in the county courts
Is compulsory arbitration coming in landlord and tenant disputes? Edward Peters KC and Kavish Shah, barristers at Falcon Chambers, share their views in this week’s NLJ, as part of an ADR special focus
A confusing name has been chosen for the court office in Northampton, seasoned NLJ columnist & former District Judge Stephen Gold notes in this week’s Civil Way. Fortunately, Gold was not foxed—he knows his way around the civil justice system too well
Is it time for England and Wales to follow the examples of other jurisdictions and introduce mandatory alternative dispute resolution (ADR)? In this week’s NLJ, Thomas H Curran, managing partner at Curran Antonelli, part of the IR Global network, looks ahead to the changing landscape of dispute resolution
Dominic Regan makes some predictions on the future of ‘negotiated dispute resolution’, in this week’s NLJ, with the Court of Appeal due to reconsider Halsey (on whether judges can order parties to mediate) in the autumn
The Lord Chancellor and Home Secretary this week announced the launch of a ‘dedicated taskforce’ as part of ‘a clampdown on crooked lawyers who coach illegal immigrants to lie’
Legal professionals could face tougher financial penalties and heightened scrutiny, under plans put forward by super-regulator the Legal Services Board (LSB)
Welsh property and private client law solicitor Mark Evans has been elected deputy vice president of the Law Society
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has set up a scheme to provide free legal advice to families facing eviction or repossession
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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