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Civil way: 25 May 2018

25 May 2018
Issue: 7794 / Categories: Features , Civil way , Procedure & practice
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  • Worthless divorces.
  • Witness chat disaster.
  • First-class appeals.
  • Happy tune for whistlers.

FAMILY WAYS

Ooops The FD President issued interim guidance on 23 April 2018 on the procedural path to be followed by judges in relation to dummy decrees. A number of cases have been brought to his attention where decrees nisi and absolute have been granted notwithstanding that divorce petitions have been presented within one year of the marriage or before the expiration of the two year separation period under s 1(2)(d) or (e) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. In the former situation, the decrees are null and void and the defect cannot be cured by petition amendment (and any financial remedy order will surely fall). A remarriage would be invalid and any children born of it would be illegitimate. In the latter case, the President suggests that the same consequences would follow except that ‘it may be possible, if the facts warrant it, to amend the petition to plead one of the grounds set out in ss 1(2)(a)

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Lawyers can no longer afford to ignore the metaverse, says Jacqueline Watts of Allin1 Advisory in this week's NLJ. Far from being a passing tech fad, virtual platforms like Roblox host thriving economies and social interactions, raising real legal issues
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
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