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30 March 2007 / Jennifer James
Issue: 7266 / Categories: Blogs , Public
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The untimely death of Sally Clark highlights the devastation caused by incorrect accusations, says the Insider

The Insider generally concentrates on the capricious things in life; sometimes, however, there is a serious news story that cannot be ignored. The death of Sally Clark a couple of weeks ago has struck a chord that will resonate for years to come. Sally was found dead at her home; the cause of death believed to have been natural causes, possibly accelerated by excessive alcohol consumption.

Alcohol dogged Sally. After her original trial for murder in November 1999 she was described as a lonely drunk who resented her babies and deliberately smothered them so that she could return to her former high-flying legal career. How the prosecutors could advance that theory with a straight face is beyond me, along with their promulgation of the now infamous ‘Meadow’s law’. This, basically, said that one cot death is a tragedy, two is suspicious and three is murder unless proven otherwise.

Against the odds

Cot death is a diagnosis made only

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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NEWS
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NLJ this week: Tightening the screws on JCT terminations
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
NLJ this week: Old rules, fresh warnings in employment law
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
NLJ this week: The rise of the ‘ChatGPT client’ rattles the profession
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
NLJ this week: Surrogacy children caught in succession gap
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
NLJ this week: Online safety law at a crossroads
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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