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07 November 2025
Issue: 8138 / Categories: Legal News , Constitutional law
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NLJ this week: A prince no more?

Professor Graham Zellick KC argues in NLJ this week that, despite Buckingham Palace’s statement stripping Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his styles, titles and honours, he remains legally a duke

The removal of his name from the Roll of the Peerage, Zellick explains, does not extinguish the peerage itself, which can only be removed by Act of Parliament. While the King was within his prerogative to revoke royal titles and knighthoods, the dukedom—being a hereditary honour—is untouched.

Zellick contends that past case law, rooted in the Duke’s former membership of the Lords, may not bind current practice and that what is granted under the prerogative can be undone likewise. Still, he calls for clarity: Andrew’s formal status may persist, but public recognition will not.

The King’s bold action, he concludes, is symbolically potent if legally imprecise.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
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