THIS ISSUE
The proposed Product Regulation and Metrology Bill aims to provide a ‘pragmatic response’ to safety risks and technological opportunities arising since the late 1980s, but what are its implications for businesses which use artificial intelligence (AI) and their insurers? In this week’s NLJ, John Doherty, partner and head of regulatory, Penningtons Manches Cooper, considers what shape the Bill might take.
It feels like civil legal aid has been in crisis forever—so is the current system simply irreparable? In this week’s NLJ, Roger Smith, former director of JUSTICE, argues that we need a radical rethink.
The terrifying world of deepfakes, ‘cheapfakes’, dating scams, phishing and other artificial intelligence (AI) connivance is the subject of a fascinating article by Dan Wyatt, partner, Chris Whitehouse, senior associate, and Olivia Dhein, knowledge lawyer, RPC (Reynolds Porter Chamberlain), in this week’s NLJ.
Be on guard against ‘greenwashing’ as tough regulations are now in place. Moreover, the latest guidance available suggests a low threshold for culpability. In this week’s NLJ, Paige Coulter, associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan UK, with input from Julianne Hughes-Jennett, partner, sets out the risks involved and predicts a rise in litigation under the Companies Act 2006 and other legislation concerning allegations of greenwashing (publishing misleading information about the environmental or sustainability characteristics of a good, service or business).
In future there will be less money for creditors and more money for the official receiver—this outrage is exposed by NLJ columnist and former district judge Stephen Gold, in this week’s Civil Way.
For anyone interested in prison reform, John Cooper KC, of 25 Bedford Row, recommends a recently released film, Holloway, directed by Sophie Compton and Daisy-May Hudson.
Roger Smith on why he believes the model of civil legal aid developed as part of the post-war welfare state is bust
Paige Coulter & Julianne Hughes-Jennett map out the risky landscape of greenwashing regulation
Ian Smith combs through four cases addressing important issues of interpretation…including the reach of sexual harassment law
As a legal professional, you’re adept at building strong arguments for clients. But when it comes to securing a mortgage, shaping your financial narrative is equally important
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
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
