THIS ISSUE
The Churchill v Merthyr Borough Council case has clarified the position on judge-mandated mediation—or has it?
The Supreme Court recently handed down guidance, in a recent case, on injunctions binding ‘newcomers’—an example being a bunch of noisy protesters; such an injunction would apply to the current bunch and also to potential protesters (newcomers) who have not yet arrived
The Post Office-Horizon IT scandal has exploded in the public consciousness, but not everyone agrees with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to quash convictions on a blanket basis
It is important that lawyers understand about psychosocial risks in the legal workplace, Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO, LawCare, writes in this week’s NLJ
Extra First-tier tribunal judges will be recruited, trained and ready to start hearing Illegal Migration Act appeals ‘from this summer’, according to Alex Chalk, the Lord Chancellor
Lawyers have welcomed further signs legislation will be introduced to reverse the PACCAR judgment, which restricts litigation funding
Doctors are not liable for psychiatric injuries suffered by their patients’ relatives, the Supreme Court has ruled
The UK government has ratified the Hague 19 Convention, which provides for cross-border enforcement of judgments
CILEX has reported majority member support for its planned reforms to regulation and professional titles
The family court reporting pilot, which began in Carlisle, Cardiff and Leeds a year ago, will be rolled out to a further 16 courts at the end of January
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
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
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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