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17 October 2025
Issue: 8135 / Categories: Legal News , Civil way , Procedure & practice
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NLJ this week: Gold on Awaab’s Law & digital divorce

In this week's issue, Stephen Gold, NLJ columnist and former district judge, surveys another eclectic fortnight in procedure. With humour and humanity, he reminds readers that beneath the procedural dust, the law still changes lives

Family lawyers gain new online powers as FPR PD 41G now allows digital applications for service orders, while legal advisers can authorise bailiff service—a cheap but uncertain option, he quips. In pensions, a tribunal judge’s six-year wait for correction earned him £3,000 from the Ministry of Justice, but no sympathy.

The headline act, however, is ‘Awaab’s Law’: from 27 October 2025, social landlords must fix serious hazards like damp and mould within strict timeframes or face breach actions under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. Gold hails the regulations as a milestone for tenants’ rights—though a compliance nightmare for landlords.

Issue: 8135 / Categories: Legal News , Civil way , Procedure & practice
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NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
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.

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