header-logo header-logo

Civil way: 27 June 2025

CFO not so special; whiplash pain; abusive legal aid; NDA reform

LAW BITES

Have mercy They’ve done it again. The Court Funds Office’s (CFO’s) special account rate has predictably dropped in response to the last Bank of England’s base rate reduction, from 4.50% to 4.25% as from 30 May 2025. Revise interest calculations for personal injury specials accordingly. The NLJ scissors remain mislaid and so you might take a look at ‘Civil way’, NLJ, 17 January 2025, p15. Should CFO special account invested funds be transferred over to an outside investment by the litigation friend, subject to court agreement? It is unlikely that a fixed-term ISA would currently yield a better rate of return. A fixed-term non-ISA might do so.

Whiplash cash Over six months after the outcome of the Lord Chancellor’s statutory review of the whiplash reforms was announced (see ‘Civil way’, 174 NLJ 8098, p15), there is legislation which gives effect to her conclusions. To the chagrin of the personal injury claimant

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner

NEWS
The legal profession’s claim to be a ‘guardian of fairness’ is under scrutiny after stark findings on gender imbalance and opaque progression. Writing in NLJ this week, Joshua Purser of No5 Barristers’ Chambers and Govindi Deerasinghe of Global 50/50 warn that leadership remains dominated by a narrow elite, with men holding 71% of top court roles
A legal challenge to police disclosure rules has failed, reinforcing a push for transparency in policing. In NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth examines a case where the Metropolitan Police required officers to declare membership of groups like the Freemasons
Bereavement leave is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. Writing in NLJ this week, Robert Hargreaves of York St John University explains how the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a day-one right to leave for a wider range of losses, alongside new provisions for pregnancy loss and bereaved partners
Courts are beginning to grapple with whether AI-generated material is legally privileged—and the answers are mixed. In this week's issue of NLJ, Stacie Bourton, Tom Whittaker & Beata Kolodziej of Burges Salmon examine US rulings showing how easily privilege can be lost
New guidance seeks to bring order to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Minesh Tanna and David Bridge of Simmons & Simmons set out a framework stressing ‘transparency’, ‘explainability’ and ‘reliability’
back-to-top-scroll