THIS ISSUE
Who, ultimately, has power in the UK? And how do we, the people, safeguard our rights? In this week’s NLJ, Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC, NLJ columnist and senior consultant, Bindmans, explains why we should all be concerned with the need for constitutional restraints.
No-fault eviction may be on its way out, but what replaces it? And is it an improvement? In this week’s NLJ, Daniel Bacon, housing solicitor at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, takes an in-depth look at the Renters (Reform) Bill.
Compulsory mediation sounds like an oxymoron to the uninitiated, but is a serious government proposal. In this week’s NLJ, Catherine Penny, partner at Stevens & Bolton, asserts that it can work well for lower value claims, but questions its value for larger commercial claims.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has faced some serious stumbling blocks in its time, so is it fit for purpose? In this week’s NLJ, in the first of a three-part series, Penningtons Manches Cooper lawyers Kate Bridgland, associate, Oliver Cooke, senior associate, and Richard Marshall, partner, put SFO prosecutions in the dock.
Delays are a major headache for family lawyers working in private law children cases. Natasha Grande, head of family at Wilsons Solicitors, writing in this week’s NLJ, suggests they proactively explore alternative avenues for their clients.
Political power needs constitutional restraints: Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC discusses the need for checks & balances on parliamentary sovereignty
With delays in private children cases continuing to climb, Natasha Grande urges family practitioners to take action to resist such slowdowns becoming the norm
As part of long-awaited proposals to reform the English private rental market, no-fault eviction is on its way out: Daniel Bacon takes a look at what is set to replace it
In the first of a three-part series on the changing economic crime landscape in the UK, Kate Bridgland, Oliver Cooke & Richard Marshall put Serious Fraud Office prosecutions in the dock
Paul Jackson examines the complex relationship between drill music artists & the admissibility of music lyrics & videos to establish gang affiliation
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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