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05 October 2022
Issue: 7997 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Criminal , Immigration & asylum , Inquests
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Party pledges from Conservative & Labour conferences

Home secretary Suella Braverman is considering giving suspects anonymity to prevent ‘trial by media’ where suspects are well-known, she told Young Conservatives at the party conference in Birmingham.

Braverman also said she wanted to reduce the number of foreign students using ‘low quality’ courses as a way to enter the UK, and is considering introducing laws to make it easier to deport people who come to the UK through irregular means.

Labour, at its conference in Liverpool last week, pledged to introduce a ‘Hillsborough law’, to give legal representation at inquiries to bereaved families and introduce a duty of candour on the part of public authorities.

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said Labour would introduce specialist courts for rape cases, and would make ‘trauma-informed practice’ central to its overall criminal justice approach, with a view to reducing reoffending. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Forbes Solicitors—Stephen Barnfield

Forbes Solicitors—Stephen Barnfield

Regulatory team boosted by partner hire amid rising health and safety demand

Arc Pensions Law—Kris Weber

Arc Pensions Law—Kris Weber

Legal director promoted to partner at specialist pensions firm

Clarke Willmott—Jonathan Cree

Clarke Willmott—Jonathan Cree

Residential development capability expands with partner hire in Birmingham

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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