09 January 2026
Writing in NLJ this week, NLJ columnist Dominic Regan surveys a landscape marked by leapfrog appeals, costs skirmishes and notable retirements. With an appeal in Mazur due to be heard next month, Regan notes that uncertainties remain over who will intervene, and hopes for the involvement of the Lady Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls in deciding the all-important outcome
Meanwhile, a long-awaited decision on ‘lost years’ damages for a severely injured child highlights how even priority cases can stall at the highest level.
Elsewhere, Judge Mark Pelling KC’s departure from the Commercial Court and Nigel Bird’s interim appointment underline the quiet but consequential changes in judicial leadership.
Regan also tracks mounting confusion over Part 36 settlements, budgeting practice and unresolved appellate disputes crying out for authoritative resolution.
As ever, procedural nuance rather than headline reform is shaping outcomes, leaving practitioners to navigate uncertainty with patience and precision.
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