THIS ISSUE
In recent years, the court have ‘displayed more willingness’ to recognise the concept of a duty of good faith in contractual disputes, Abdulali Jiwaji, partner at Signature Litigation, writes in this week’s NLJ. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Braganza has also influenced contractual interpretation, requiring discretionary decisions under contracts to be rational, honest and not arbitrary
Ian Smith chews over a bad apple, part-time status, missing appeal documents & whistleblowing detriments
Amy Woolfson analyses the legal position of healthcare professionals who take part in climate activism
Is there such a thing as a ‘bad apple’ principle in employment law? In this week’s NLJ, Ian Smith, barrister, emeritus professor of employment law at the Norwich Law School, UEA, covers four recent, important cases of value for practitioners
Wording of a deadline; a new type of law firm; the route to an intermediary; small claim: big loss.
Doctors with placards—what is the law? In this week’s NLJ, barrister Amy Woolfson, of 5 St Andrew’s Hill, analyses the legal position where healthcare professionals take part in climate activism
Trans rights in the aftermath of the recent Supreme Court judgment is a complex and sensitive area. In this week’s NLJ, Dr Graham Zellick KC, emeritus professor of law and former vice-chancellor of the University of London, reflects on the Supreme Court’s decision in For Women Scotland, the wider societal context behind the decision and the limited powers of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, under which gender recognition certificates are issued
The collapsing criminal justice system might return proportionality to health & safety enforcement decisions, argue Tom McNeill & Olivia Dwan
What impact will artificial intelligence (AI) have on our jobs? How will it shape the delivery of legal services? In this week’s NLJ, Bernadette Bulacan, chief evangelist, Icertis, writes that ‘the legal industry stands at a pivotal moment for transformation’ as gen AI, autonomous agents and large language models begin ‘reshaping how legal teams operate'
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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