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29 March 2024 / Stephen Gold
Issue: 8065 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Civil way
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Civil way: 29 March & 5 April 2024

Latest FPR update; CPR update worth a miss; Supreme junior advocacy; Medway goes to Maidstone

FIRST FOR FAMILY

FPR update no 1 of 2024 is here (published after much was claimed to be already in force, but, as with cuckolded spouses, the punters can be the last to know). This set me thinking that if the FPR update titles were given a similar appellation to the CPR—this would mean, for example ‘120th Practice Direction update’—there would be a saving of four characters and, hence, an economy in space, cartridge ink, typing, etc, and maybe the plan announced with the spring budget to demote HMCTS mail to second-class postage, so that it never actually arrives, could be ditched. Discuss.

As already reported (see ‘Civil way’, NLJ, 19 January 2024), family judges’ attempts to force non-court-based dispute resolution (NCDR) down the throats of warring parties is being aided and abetted as from 29 April 2024 by their power to require the filing and service of a form that

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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’
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