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20 February 2026 / Stephen Gold
Issue: 8150 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Civil way , CPR , Costs , Nuisance
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Civil way: 6 February 2026

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How about a court survey?; cross on an interlocutory; mental health care shake-up; latest on cat poo; liability-only Pt 36 offers.

SURVEYING THE SITUATION

The Ministry of Justice hoped for a large-scale survey of county court users, so they commissioned Ipsos UK to conduct a study on the feasibility of such a survey. What do you know?! A pilot survey and lots of exploratory work later, Ipsos has now advised in a 137-page report that a survey is feasible. Pilot interviewees, asked how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with their experience of court services, were offered the choice of very satisfied, fairly satisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, fairly dissatisfied and very dissatisfied. Doubtlessly with Ricky Gervais’s The Office appraisal of Keith in mind, interviewers were directed not to read out the options of ‘don’t know’ and ‘prefer not to say’. One can expect the report to be carefully scrutinised in committee.

NOT QUITE A CERT

The civil certificate of service in form

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Jackson Lees Group—Jannina Barker, Laura Beattie & Catherine McCrindle

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Manchester real estate finance practice welcomes legal director

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NEWS
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NLJ this week: Short lets & sharp covenants
Holiday lets may promise easy returns, but restrictive covenants can swiftly scupper plans. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Francis of Serle Court recounts how covenants limiting use to a ‘private dwelling house’ or ‘private residence’ have repeatedly defeated short-term letting schemes
NLJ this week: Justice at the algorithm’s edge
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already embedded in the civil courts, but regulation lags behind practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Roe of Baker McKenzie charts a landscape where AI assists with transcription, case management and document handling, yet raises acute concerns over evidence, advocacy and even judgment-writing
NLJ this week: When ‘milk’ really means milk
The Supreme Court has drawn a firm line under branding creativity in regulated markets. In Dairy UK Ltd v Oatly AB, it ruled that Oatly’s ‘post-milk generation’ trade mark unlawfully deployed a protected dairy designation. In NLJ this week, Asima Rana of DWF explains that the court prioritised ‘regulatory clarity over creative branding choices’, holding that ‘designation’ extends beyond product names to marketing slogans
NLJ this week: Civil practice with claws & caution
From cat fouling to Part 36 brinkmanship, the latest 'Civil way' round-up is a reminder that procedural skirmishes can have sharp teeth. NLJ columnist Stephen Gold ranges across recent decisions with his customary wit
NLJ this week: Stealing virtual gold?
Digital loot may feel like property, but civil law is not always convinced. In NLJ this week, Paul Schwartfeger of 36 Stone and Nadia Latti of CMS examine fraud involving platform-controlled digital assets, from ‘account takeover and asset stripping’ to ‘value laundering’
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