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Civil way: 12 December 2025

Costs and AI behaviour; ‘A landlord nor a bailiff be’?

AND YOU SHALL BE CONTINUALLY GUIDED

Do not venture inside the Senior Courts Costs Office (SCCO) without mugging up on its latest guide. Nothing earth-moving, but recommended by Lord Justice Birss, which is good. During its former incarnation and as a novice articled clerk up from the sticks to the smoke, the only guide I had was the managing clerk who let me loose there on a substantial four-column bill listed for assessment. He told me not to worry about any party and party items going over to common fund (legal aid). The master told me that the receiving party client with a fat contribution would have boxed my ears if they could have witnessed my concurrence in massive transfers.

Now you might have thought that Birss LJ would have been working on a speech for his swearing-in as the new High Court Chancellor. But no. As well as devouring the SCCO guide, he has been going

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Womble Bond Dickinson—Paula Myers

Womble Bond Dickinson—Paula Myers

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Paula Myers to private capital team in Leeds

mfg Solicitors—five promotions

mfg Solicitors—five promotions

Law firm mfg Solicitors announces five promotions at Birmingham office

Brabners—six promotions

Brabners—six promotions

Brabners adds six to partnership in record year for partner promotions

NEWS
Calls to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 have been renewed, with the Bar Council arguing the current threshold criminalises children too early and risks pushing them towards lifelong offending
The legal profession's AI challenge extends far beyond fabricated case citations, according to a warning about the next phase of technological risk
Law firms should use the transition period before the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumes anti-money laundering (AML) supervision to strengthen governance and compliance, experts have warned
Cross-border disputes increasingly demand creative approaches to gathering evidence, with litigators needing to look beyond traditional letters of request
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified the distinction between contracts of 'indefinite' and 'perpetual' duration, with potentially significant implications for commercial drafting
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