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22 October 2020 / John Cooper KC
Issue: 7907 / Categories: Features , Profession
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The show(s) must go on

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John Cooper QC ‘attends’ this year’s BFI London Film Festival & reviews an opening film heavily laced with law

This year’s BFI London Film Festival, which ran from 7 October to 18 October 2020, was delivered in unusual circumstances, with all the films online and networking being confined to virtual chatrooms. But among all these COVID driven changes, there were still some high-class offerings for those who like their movies heavily laced with the law.

Much anticipated Mangrove

The Festival opened with Steve McQueen’s much anticipated Mangrove. McQueen directed this drama and based it upon the notorious trial in the 1970s when nine black people were arrested and charged with incitement to riot.

The seminal trial was held over 55 days after which the so-called Mangrove Nine were all acquitted. This December marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the trial.

The trial was based upon an incident between a group of black radicals and allegations brought against them arising from violent clashes with the police during a protest

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NEWS
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NLJ this week: Tightening the screws on JCT terminations
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
NLJ this week: Old rules, fresh warnings in employment law
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
NLJ this week: The rise of the ‘ChatGPT client’ rattles the profession
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
NLJ this week: Surrogacy children caught in succession gap
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
NLJ this week: Online safety law at a crossroads
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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