THIS ISSUE
Aneurin Brewer sets out a practical guide to defending the pilots of small boats following the Nationality and Borders Act 2022
There is a growing threat of forged evidence in civil litigation—now supercharged by generative AI—which Ian Gascoigne of LexisNexis explores in this week’s NLJ
Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Travers of Foot Anstey examines the unresolved legal tensions at the heart of AI-generated content, following the high-profile Getty v Stability AI case. Although the primary copyright claim was dropped, Travers argues the core issues remain: can AI be trained on copyrighted material without permission, and who owns the output?
The volunteer judiciary has faced neglect. Tom Franklin explains why addressing this is important—for all parts of the legal system
Writing in NLJ this week, Elizabeth Rimmer of LawCare urges legal leaders to embed mental health into the core of organisational strategy
Could social media platforms be treated as ‘products’ under the Consumer Protection Act 1987? If so, they could face strict liability for harms caused by addictive design features and algorithmic manipulation, says Harry Lambert of Outer Temple Chambers, writing in NLJ this week
Kris Kilsby explains how to avoid third-party challenges under the Solicitors Act
In the second part of this series, Harry Lambert tackles some key questions: is social media a ‘product’ at all, and how might claims be brought against its platforms?
There is an urgent need to support England and Wales’s 14,000 volunteer magistrates, according to Tom Franklin of the Magistrates’ Association, writing in this week’s NLJ
Edward Blakeney and Ashpen Rajah of Falcon Chambers unpack the Court of Appeal’s decision in White v Alder [2025] EWCA Civ 392 in this week’s issue of NLJ. The ruling confirms that boundary demarcation agreements bind successors in title—regardless of whether they knew of the agreement when purchasing
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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