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13 August 2020 / David Greene
Issue: 7899 / Categories: Opinion , Covid-19 , Profession , Constitutional law
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Court times

As we enter the summer break, David Greene predicts some challenging & uncertain times ahead for the court system

It would be fair to say that as we go into the summer break, if such a thing exists, firms are facing uncertainty in managing the return to the workplace and in the market conditions that will present when we all ‘return’ in the autumn. Many are predicting a tsunami of litigation with courts being overwhelmed just as they are dealing with the backlog of work developed in the lockdown. All this comes at a time of change in which London seeks to ensure it retains its foremost place at the world dispute resolution table. These are challenging and uncertain times.

Confusion

The government’s stance on the return to the workplace has been somewhat confusing, on the one hand encouragement but still against the guidance that continues to suggest we should all work from home if we can. 1 August brought in changes with greater encouragement to return to the office. But more

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joinscorporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Graham Green

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Graham Green

Media and technology expert joins employment team as partner in Cambridge

NEWS
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 
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
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
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’
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