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13 May 2022 / David Locke
Issue: 7978 / Categories: Features , Human rights , International , Constitutional law
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Roe v Wade: Judicial insurrection?

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Roe v Wade: the situation in the US highlights a gross lack of understanding of law and process, and its exploitation for political purposes, says David Locke

It would be wrong to view the recent leaking of the draft majority judgment of the Supreme Court, prepared by Justice Samuel Alito in the Dobbs case as being just a very American scandal (Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization concerns the State of Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks. The State of Mississippi has asked the Supreme Court also to overrule the 1973 case of Roe v Wade). It is a composite of issues which have relevance in this jurisdiction. The manipulation of an electorate though the use of disinformation is hardly a new concept. A modern gloss on the practice would be to label something as ‘disinformation’ and restrict its dissemination, thereby allowing a preferred view to promulgate. Matters of law are not protected from being used in this fashion, amplifying problems caused by general ignorance. The

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Commercial law firm announces appointment of corporate partner

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joins corporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

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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