Tributes have begun to pour in for retired Lord Justice of Appeal, Sir Henry Brooke, who passed away on 30 January 2018 at the age of 81. Brooke took silk in 1981, was appointed to the High Court bench in 1988 and became an appeal court judge in 1996 until his retirement in 2006. Called an ‘indefatigable campaigner for access to justice’, his achievements include his role in establishing BAILII, and acting as vice-chair of the Bach Commission. He was also emeritus president of the Slynn Foundation, promoting the rule of law and human rights around the world, and the patron of nine legal charities including Prisoners Abroad and Law for Life. Chair of the Bar Andrew Walker QC said: ‘Sir Henry's was a lifelong commitment to the rule of law and access to justice in our society. The way in which he managed to follow a long and distinguished career at the Bar and on the bench with a tireless and selfless devotion to those causes throughout his retirement was truly inspirational. He cared; and it showed.’
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Kennedys—Samson Spanier
Commercial disputes practice bolstered by partner hire
Bird & Bird—Emma Radcliffe
London competition team expands with collective actions specialist hire
Hill Dickinson—Chris Williams
Commercial dispute resolution team in London welcomes partner
NEWS
Judging is ‘more intellectually demanding than any other role in public life’—and far messier than outsiders imagine. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC reflects on decades spent wrestling with unclear legislation, fragile precedent and human fallibility
The long-predicted death of the billable hour may finally be here—and this time, it’s armed with a scythe. In a sweeping critique of time-based billing, Ian McDougall, president of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, argues in this week's NLJ that artificial intelligence has made hourly charging ‘intellectually, commercially and ethically indefensible’
From fake authorities to rent reform, the civil courts have had a busy start to 2026. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold surveys a procedural landscape where guidance, discretion and discipline are all under strain
Fact-finding hearings remain a fault line in private family law. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Rylatt and Robyn Laye of Anthony Gold Solicitors analyse recent appeals exposing the dangers of rushed or fragmented findings
As the Winter Olympics open in Milan and Cortina, legal disputes are once again being resolved almost as fast as the athletes compete. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Ian Blackshaw of Valloni Attorneys examines the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS's) ad hoc divisions, which can decide cases within 24 hours
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
