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A love supreme?

30 June 2011 / Oliver Gayner
Issue: 7472 / Categories: Features , Constitutional law
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Oliver Gayner reviews the work of the UK Supreme Court in its Hilary term

A busy first term of the judicial year sees the Justices abolish immunity for expert witnesses, among other things, and the Judicial Appointments Committee confirm the appointments of Lord Justice Wilson & Jonathan Sumption QC.

While the UK Supreme Court continues to see a high proportion of human rights and public law cases, its caseload for the Hilary term was notably diverse. Among other issues, the justices were asked to consider noise levels in the knitting industry, the rights of nesting bats, collapsing oil rigs, and the characteristics of a barn as opposed to a dwelling house.

Alongside these more esoteric cases, there were also some more traditionally “Supreme Court” decisions, such as whether it is still justified in law to grant immunity to expert witnesses in civil proceedings, and the remedies available in cases of unlawful detention by government power. Set out below are some of the highlights of the term, both in and out of the courtroom.

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NEWS
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School highlights a turbulent end to 2025 in the civil courts, from the looming appeal in Mazur to judicial frustration with ever-expanding bundles, in his final NLJ 'The insider' column of the year
Antonia Glover of Quinn Emanuel outlines sweeping transparency reforms following the work of the Transparency and Open Justice Board in this week's NLJ
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