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NLJ this week: Motor finance, markets, duties & separation of powers

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FirstRand, a hotly-anticipated Supreme Court judgment likely to arrive in July, could have far-reaching implications for the motor finance and wider financial services industries. In this week’s NLJ, Ceri Morgan, membership secretary of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, and knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills, explores the fiduciary duties involved, the key questions that will need to be answered by the Supreme Court, and the impact on the motor finance market
Morgan also looks at the case through the lens of constitutional law, namely its impact on separation of powers. Morgan writes that the case’s impact is ‘multifaceted. On one hand, it reinforces the judiciary’s authority to interpret and enforce legal standards, and for regulatory bodies to adapt and respond to judicial decisions. On the other hand, it highlights the need for clearer guidance by way of primary legislation or regulation, as it is not the role of the courts to formulate financial services’ regulatory policy’. 

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

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

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’
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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