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NLJ this week: Gold reports on difficulties in court & the case that missed

28 July 2023
Issue: 8035 / Categories: Legal News , Civil way , Procedure & practice , CPR
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Lack of personnel is creating havoc in court. In this week’s NLJ, former district judge Stephen Gold writes on ‘the mess’ in family courts where ‘frequent and widespread difficulties’ are arising due to a shortage of qualified legal representatives to cross-examine vulnerable witnesses.

The shortage is leading to an extraordinary and contradictory predicament where judges may have to ask the questions themselves ‘notwithstanding the guidance that the court should not itself conduct the cross-examination’.

Following this theme, Gold’s 'Civil way' column reports on the lack of compliant bids received for duty solicitors in housing possession cases.

He covers a highly relevant case that missed the deadline for inclusion in the Senior Courts Costs Office guide, and discusses consumer protection following the recent Supreme Court judgment on the Quincecare duty where a customer was tricked by fraudsters.

For pure Gold, see here.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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