Criminal

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Criminal barristers will down tools indefinitely from next week, in a major escalation of their strike action which has been taking place on alternate weeks

David Walbank QC examines a tragic case which underlines the polycentric decision-making process for offences involving young persons

Tougher sentences for child cruelty could be introduced, along with a higher culpability threshold for the most serious cases, under draft guidelines from the Sentencing Council

The Law Commission is launching a major review of the criminal appeals process

A procedural morass in the making? David Burrows discusses the urgent need for clarity in domestic abuse proceedings

Directing the jury on the standard of proof & meaning of ‘sure’ is no easy task, writes Paul McKeown

The justice system cruelly stacks the odds against the neurodivergent, says Jon Robins

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has now moved the barrister strikes into its alternating weeks phase, as negotiations with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have stalled

What does ‘sure’ mean, when directing a jury on the standard of proof? Writing in this week’s NLJ, Paul McKeown, City University associate professor of law, looks at this nebulous, challengeable word, which leads to what judges call ‘dreaded questions’ from the jury

Progress in improving support for women in prisons is slow and limited, the Justice Committee has warned

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye

Investigations and corporate crime expert joins as partner

Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw

Veteran funds specialist joins investment funds team

Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield

Firm enhances competition practice with London partner hire

NEWS

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NLJ this week: Tightening the screws on JCT terminations

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

NLJ this week: Old rules, fresh warnings in employment law

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

NLJ this week: The rise of the ‘ChatGPT client’ rattles the profession

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

NLJ this week: Surrogacy children caught in succession gap

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’

NLJ this week: Online safety law at a crossroads

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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Criminal

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye

Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw

Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield