The withdrawal agreement reached with the European Union on 17 October 2019 amounts to a hard Brexit, with Great Britain out of the single market, the customs union and the political arrangements, but with a withdrawal agreement including a transition period until the end of 2020. Legally, the United Kingdom will leave the EU on exit day, which is currently 31 October 2019. But de facto, the UK will remain a member. This is because EU law will continue to apply during the transition period, but the UK will have no role in decision-making. The European Communities Act 1972 will not be repealed until the end of the transition period. Thus, EU law will continue to flow into the UK. The Court of Justice of the European Union will continue to have jurisdiction in respect of the impact of EU law in the UK, and it will be the arbitrator in respect
Brexit: Parliament flexes its muscles
Simon Parsons examines the current state of affairs in Parliament, & warns that even more difficulty lies ahead…
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires
Nikki Bowker, head of litigation and dispute resolution at Devonshires, on career resilience, diversity in law and channelling Elle Woods when the pressure is on
Ellisons—Sarah Osborne
Leasehold enfranchisement specialist joins residential property team
DWF—Chris Air
Firm strengthens commercial team in Manchester with partner appointment
NEWS
The High Court’s refusal to recognise a prolific sperm donor as a child’s legal parent has highlighted the risks of informal conception arrangements, according to Liam Hurren, associate at Kingsley Napley, in NLJ this week
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Mazur may have settled questions around litigation supervision, but the profession should not simply ‘move on’, argues Jennifer Coupland, CEO of CILEX, in this week's NLJ
A simple phrase like ‘subject to references’ may not protect employers as much as they think. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, analyses recent employment cases showing how conditional job offers can still create binding contracts
An engagement ring may symbolise romance, but the courts remain decidedly practical about who keeps it after a split, writes Mark Pawlowski, barrister and professor emeritus of property law at the University of Greenwich, in this week's NLJ
Medical reporting organisation fees have become ‘the final battleground’ in modern costs litigation, says Kris Kilsby, costs lawyer at Peak Costs and council member of the Association of Costs Lawyers, in this week's NLJ
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
