Roger Smith
NLJ columnist
Roger Smith, NLJ columnist & former director of JUSTICE. Newlawjournal.co.uk
Those in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland need more robust reassurance of their devolved powers if the union is to endure, argues Roger Smith
Won’t anyone think about the constitution, asks Roger Smith
The UK would be wise to pay close attention to the Welsh government’s call for devolved justice, says Roger Smith
We are sleepwalking into an existential crisis for the UK—on the rule of law. Fifteen years on from the creation of the Ministry of Justice, Roger Smith sets out why
Legal aid has been run into the ground. Is it time for public defenders to step in, asks Roger Smith
In the final instalment of this series, Roger Smith assesses the state of not-for-profit legal tech at home & abroad
In the third instalment of this series, Roger Smith tackles access to justice, the courts & the slow march of digitalisation
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NLJ Career Profile: Daniel Burbeary, Michelman Robinson
Daniel Burbeary, office managing partner of Michelman Robinson, discusses launching in London, the power of the law, and what the kitchen can teach us about litigating
Joelson—Jennifer Mansoor
West End firm strengthens employment and immigration team with partner hire
JMW—Belinda Brooke
Employment and people solutions offering boosted by partner hire
NEWS
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’
The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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