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08 October 2025
Issue: 8134 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Legal services , EU , International , Brexit
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Brussels beckons for UK lawyers

A post-Brexit agreement to smooth the path for UK lawyers hoping to practise in Belgium has been reached by the respective professional bodies

UK and Belgium Bar and Law Society leaders signed a memorandum of understanding last week with the aim of simplifying the requalification procedures for UK lawyers.

Currently, Belgian lawyers can provide legal services other than reserved legal activities in the UK and practise arbitration, conciliation, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. They can also employ, be employed and partner with UK lawyers and work as in-house legal professionals.

Richard Atkinson, Law Society president, said: ‘Both UK and Belgian lawyers need to have the same professional rights in our respective countries.’

Peter Callens, president of the Order of the Flemish Bars, said the memorandum represents ‘a promising starting point’.

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Firm appoints first chief marketing officer to drive growth strategy

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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