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30 May 2025
Issue: 8118 / Categories: Case law , In Court , Law digest
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Law digests: 30 May 2025

Commons

Darwall and another v Dartmoor National Park Authority [2025] UKSC 20

This is an appeal to the Supreme Court regarding whether s 10(1) of the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 confers on the public a right to pitch tents or otherwise make camp overnight on Dartmoor Commons. The court analysed the wording of s 10(1) in its statutory context, including the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and the Law of Property Act 1925. The court dismissed the appeal, ruling that s 10(1), on its true construction, does confer such a right to wild camp on the Commons.


Costs

Shorts International Ltd v Google LLC [2025] EWCA Civ 653

This was an appeal to the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) from a decision dismissing a claim for trade mark infringement heard in the Business and Property Courts (Intellectual Property List) concerning the determination of the claimant’s application for a costs capping order and the defendant’s application for security for costs. The court held that the proceedings

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Sidley—James Inness

Sidley—James Inness

Partner joins capital markets team in London office

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

Firm announces appointment of partner as UK general counsel

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

Firm appoints first chief marketing officer to drive growth strategy

NEWS
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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