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06 October 2017 / David Greene
Issue: 7764 / Categories: Opinion , Brexit
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Countdown to the future

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At the start of the new legal year, David Greene reflects on the challenges & opportunities ahead

Party conference time. A united public display of open democratic party politics. At least for the Liberals united around the Brexit message. For Labour and the Conservatives, on the other hand, Brexit continues to divide and drive the political classes.

Law also has its party conference at this time of year when the great and good from round the globe gather in the Autumn mists at Westminster Abbey to herald in the new legal year.

This year we all celebrated the especial event of the enthronement of the first female President of the Supreme Court; Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond. I cannot but remember that wonderful exchange between her and David Pannick in the Art 50 litigation over the pronouncement of the words de Kuyser. It will be but a short reign but while we very much welcome the first female to the position she is there because she is an outstanding lawyer and judge of the

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NLJ this week: Divorce ‘nuclear weapon’ freezes assets but entangles outsiders
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
NLJ this week: What counts as ‘rent’? Court says labour alone won’t do
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
NLJ this week: Freed but failed—justice system leaves the innocent empty-handed
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
NLJ this week: Clarity on whistleblowing, settlements and tribunal limits
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
NLJ this week: Family law urged to ditch adversarial instincts
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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