THIS ISSUE
Dr Ping-fat Sze examines the reviewability of prosecutorial decisions, & the effect on access to justice
When is security deemed received—on payment or on receipt of cleared funds? Avneet Baryan examines the case law
Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, breaks down everything you need to know about AlphaBiolabs’ industry-leading laboratory testing services for legal matters.
Marc Mason explores the benefits of a more reflective form of supervision for lawyers & their clients
A rise in nuisance claims against water utilities and in silicosis claims are among the insurance predictions for 2025.
The Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood has raised the personal injury discount rate (PIDR)—used by the courts to calculate lump sum awards for long-term injuries—from -0.25% to 0.5%.
Few costs lawyers have seen any reduction in disputes between solicitors and their clients despite the ruling in Belsner, the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) annual members survey has found.
Competition law and litigation solicitor Lucy Rigby, a former partner at Hausfeld, has been appointed Solicitor General, replacing Sarah Sackman KC, who replaces Heidi Alexander as justice minister for the courts, legal aid and civil justice in a mini-shuffle announced this week.
MPs have voted 330-275 to pass the Terminally Ill (End of Life) Bill’s second reading, a private member’s bill brought by Kim Leadbeater MP
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
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