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
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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