THIS ISSUE
‘Every time I see this focus on sustainability regulations, I want to scream,’ General Counsel Andrew Magowan, from law firm The Legal Director, writes in this week’s NLJ. ‘At best, it’s a wasted opportunity. But at worst, it’s a dereliction of our duties as lawyers’
After the miscarriage of justice in the case of Andrew Malkinson, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) needs a reset, Jon Robins, NLJ columnist, writes in this week’s issue
In this week’s NLJ, Ian Smith traces the latest trend in the employment tribunal as a common theme in three recent cases, covering termination by agreement, time limits and the form of judgments
Client confidentiality is generally seen as absolute with very limited exceptions, but tough ethical dilemmas can still arise, as Iain Miller, partner, & Charlotte Judd, senior associate, Kingsley Napley discuss in this week’s NLJ, complete with some alarming examples
The litigation funding industry had a shock when the Supreme Court delivered its ruling in PACCAR Inc v Competition Appeal Tribunal. But what’s the extent of the damage?
Barristers have a legal right to see the accounts of their Inns of Court, Professor Michael Zander asserts in this week’s NLJ. He believes this is the legal situation, and would like to hear from anyone at the Bar or the Inns who may know about an 1871 pleadings, Roffey v Wigg, which never came to judgment, as this will help solve the mystery
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has updated its guidance for prosecutors on the public interest considerations when dealing with ‘mercy killings’ and failed suicide pacts
It is ‘a matter of fundamental principle’ that individuals can ‘readily understand what goes on in our courts and tribunals’, Lady Chief Justice Carr has said in her inaugural speech
The Law Society marked World Mental Health Day this week by calling for a government commitment to introducing the Mental Health Bill in the King’s Speech in November
Family lawyers’ group Resolution has welcomed the Labour Party’s commitment to reforming the law for cohabiting couples
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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