THIS ISSUE
"Politicisation of the judiciary has seemed less of a problem in Britain—though we should never be complacent about it."
Lawyers shouldn’t fear judges―they’re ‘gentle’ and like ‘teddy bears’. Those are the words of Sir Rupert Jackson, architect of the civil justice costs reforms (who also confesses he sometimes saw judges as ‘ogres’ when starting out).
Law firms are generally making progress when it comes to boosting the number of women in leadership roles―but some mentoring initiatives may be backfiring.
A coalition of lawyers, police and homelessness charities has called on the government to scrap the Vagrancy Act 1824, which criminalises rough sleeping and begging.
More than two-thirds of adults below the age of 50 and earning £50,000 or more per year do not have a will, law firm Collyer Bristow has warned.
Political consensus supported by ‘robust legal frameworks’ are required to tackle climate change and other environmental concerns, Lord Carnwath has said.
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which is due to replace the current system for entry to the profession in 2021, will lower professional standards, junior lawyers have warned.
The courts and tribunals in England and Wales benefited from an extra £15m worth of repairs and improvements last year, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.
The biggest Legal Walk outside of London took place this week in Leeds, with more than 500 lawyers raising funds for access to justice causes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) software that helps law firms price their services has been launched by IT company Intapp.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Birketts—trainee cohort
Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025
Keoghs—four appointments
Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland
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
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
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
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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
Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis
