THIS ISSUE
The Lord Chancellor, David Lammy, is introducing a raft of reforms to banish rape myths, reduce the use of sexual history as evidence, and protect complainants from re-traumatisation during the trial
Costs lawyers predict more costs disputes and more demand for their services as a direct result of the Mazur ruling
Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, has asked lawyers to respond to a five-week consultation on ‘very straightforward’ online procedure rules
Digital assets have been given statutory recognition as personal property for the first time, allowing people to leave digital art and cryptocurrency to their heirs
HM Land Registry has published a list of common errors by conveyancers in a bid to cut requisition rates—formal requests for information—and speed up the process
Former deputy chief constable of North Yorkshire Police Phil Cain is to be the next Legal Ombudsman, taking over from interim chief executives Steve Pearson and David Peckham in February
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Freeths—Ruth Clare
National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester
Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon
Partner appointed head of family team
mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison
Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return
NEWS
Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The dangers of uncritical artificial intelligence (AI) use in legal practice are no longer hypothetical. In this week's NLJ, Dr Charanjit Singh of Holborn Chambers examines cases where lawyers relied on ‘hallucinated’ citations — entirely fictitious authorities generated by AI tools
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
