THIS ISSUE
Casey Randall, Head of Genetics at AlphaBiolabs, explores what makes the award-winning laboratory the industry leader for court-admissible DNA testing
Rakesh Kapila explains when it is important to consider assets when valuing businesses
How does social media slot into the marketing mix? Andy Cullwick sets out some top tips for cutting through the noise & making the most of your online platform
The High Court has swooped to the rescue of 79 ex-couples, following a colossal computer error that threatened to render their divorce orders void.
Commercial and corporate fee earners in London with more than eight years’ experience are valued at £566 per hour, following an uplift to the solicitors’ guideline hourly rates.
Five men, including two solicitors, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court next week to answer charges against them in connection with the collapse of Axiom Ince.
About one third of respondents agree remote hearings are more efficient (31%) or provide the same opportunity for individuals to present their side of the story (35%), the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Problem and Resolution Survey 2023, published in December, has found.
The Law Commission is consulting on proposals to simplify, consolidate and modernise the law of compulsory purchase.
A Staffordshire magistrate who swore in court has been issued with a formal warning for misconduct.
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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