THIS ISSUE
Is it bye bye Right to Buy? In this week’s 'Civil Way', former district judge Stephen Gold looks at changes to the discounts for secure tenants.
Prisons are in crisis, so what’s the plan to fix them? In this week’s NLJ, Helen Scambler, associate at Mishcon de Reya, comments on the government’s actions to date to repair the issue, and makes some suggestions on what they could do next.
Donald Trump, populism and the UK Attorney General Richard Hermer KC’s (pictured) recent speech on the rule of law are explored in former JUSTICE director Roger Smith’s NLJ column this week.
How does legal privilege apply to the use of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) by lawyers? In this week’s NLJ, Olivia Dhein, knowledge lawyer at RPC, and Ben Roe, lead knowledge lawyer at Baker McKenzie, highlight some overlooked risks and consider various workplace scenarios.
How does UK law on neurorights compare to protections granted in other parts of the world? Part 4 of Harry Lambert and Bradley John-Davis’s fascinating series on neurotechnology and the law looks at neurotech law abroad, suggests the UK may be lagging behind, and explains that Latin America is leading the way.
It does proponents of the rule of law no harm to admit to its many uncertainties: Roger Smith warns against the temptation to oversimplify
Does the existence of a suitable alternative remedy rule out the option of judicial review? Nicholas Dobson weighs up the Supreme Court’s view
Successful non-party costs orders against credit hire operators are swelling in number: Sarah Jane Cartlidge considers whether these are just a drop in the ocean
How will the government reduce the prison population and ease the strain on the system? Helen Scambler examines the proposed measures
Olivia Dhein & Ben Roe explain how lawyers should think about privilege when using gen AI tools
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
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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