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Election blues

04 May 2017 / Jon Robins
Issue: 7744 / Categories: Opinion
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Jon Robins considers the impact of the snap General Election on the UK justice system

In the countdown to the Brexit election, justice issues are likely to have even less of a look in than recent elections. That’s not to say that the snap poll is not already having an impact on lawyers and indeed non-lawyers.

Ta-ra to Truss?

Newspapers on the right have been rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of an early exit for our third non-lawyer lord chancellor after Chris Grayling and Michael Gove. Earlier last month the Daily Telegraph, before the election announcement, claimed that ‘senior government sources’ reported that cabinet ministers were piling on the pressure on Theresa May to strip Liz Truss of her role as Lord Chancellor.

A landslide win for the Conservatives on 8 June sharply increases the odds of that happening. According to The Sun, the PM is presently ‘sharpening her blade’ in anticipation of a post-election reshuffle.

Lord Thomas last month castigated Truss for her failure to stand up for the judiciary

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Lawyers can no longer afford to ignore the metaverse, says Jacqueline Watts of Allin1 Advisory in this week's NLJ. Far from being a passing tech fad, virtual platforms like Roblox host thriving economies and social interactions, raising real legal issues
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