Lord Sumption waded into controversy this week in an interview with the London Evening Standard, where he warned that pushing too fast for more female judges could have “appalling consequences”. These were that it could make “male candidates feel that the cards are stacked against them”. He described the judiciary as a “terribly delicate organism” that could be destroyed. The main reason for the lack of female judges was that women were less prepared to put up with long working hours, he said. He denied there was an “old boys network” at the bar but simultaneously praised the tradition of barristers becoming judges as a “terrific public asset”.
25 September 2015
Lord Sumption denies legal old boys network
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Birketts—Nathan Evans
Commercial and technology team in Cambridge strengthened by partner hire
Andrew & Andrew Solicitors—Shikha Datta
Hampshire firm appoints head of new family department
Latham & Watkins—Sarah Lightdale
Firm strengthens securities practice with partner return
NEWS
From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed
Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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