THIS ISSUE
Michael Brown and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper explore how recent rulings are reshaping group litigation in the UK, in this week's issue of NLJ
E2 remedied; price marking put back; housing for abuse victims; delayed claim forms; committal put right; protocol claims get a kick; matrimonialisation endorsed
What do global companies need to know about the Online Safety Act 2023? Lucy Blake, Joanna Ludlam, Will Jones & Karam Jardaneh explain
Retired district judge Stephen Gold delivers a brisk tour of recent civil procedure developments in his latest Civil Way column for NLJ
The European Court of Human Rights’ 2024 ruling in Executief van de Moslims van België v Belgium upheld a Belgian ban on ritual slaughter without pre-stunning. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC of Middle Temple critiques its judgment
Stereotypes, myths and misunderstandings about consent continue to permeate the criminal justice system in rape and sexual offences cases, the Law Commission has said
A conviction based on evidence from the accounting software used by the Post Office prior to Horizon is being referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)
Campaigning charity Transform Justice has called for ‘radical reform’ of the Single Justice Procedure (SJP), the streamlined process for minor offences
Unused pension funds will be subject to inheritance tax from 6 April 2027, HM Revenue and Customs confirmed this week
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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