header-logo header-logo

14 July 2023 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 8033 / Categories: Opinion , Profession , Costs
printer mail-detail

The insider: 14 July 2023

130121
As the courts gear up for the Long Vacation, Dominic Regan charts judicial stars on the rise & recommends a handy surgical procedure for costs lawyers

Joyous! That is how I felt upon learning that Dame Sue Carr is to be our first female Chief Justice (Lord or Lady I know not). We met doing a LexisNexis webinar about Part 36 in 2008. She was scintillating company and so thoroughly well-prepared. Such was her talent that she had already been invited to audition for the role of a British Judge Judy! Far greater responsibilities now await her.

One function of this column is to spot those in the ascendancy. Legal legend Joshua Rozenberg KC (hon) drew my attention to Mr Justice Chamberlain, who got onto the High Court Bench in 2019 and will not attain the age of 50 until 25 November this year. Saxophonist Lord Justice Singh is a cert for the Supreme Court. Sir Edward Pepperall, whom I regard as the leading authority on Part 36, produces exemplary judgments.

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Robert Dransfield

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Robert Dransfield

London medical negligence practice strengthened by senior partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—seven appointments

DAC Beachcroft—seven appointments

Firm boosts professional risk practice with team hire in Manchester, led by partner Ben Parks

Doyle Clayton—Benedicte Perowne

Doyle Clayton—Benedicte Perowne

Workplace law firm appoints new head of regulatory team

NEWS
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’

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

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
back-to-top-scroll