THIS ISSUE
Matthew Hoe provides some clarity over the latest Part 36 conundrum on fixed costs
We’re living in ‘the age of experience’, and that should shape the delivery of legal services, Adam Bullion, general manager of marketing at conveyancing search services company InfoTrack, writes in NLJ this week
A couple whose wish to adopt was rebuffed because of their Indian heritage have won their discrimination claim
For anyone affected by debt, poverty or homelessness, it can be a difficult time of year.
Costs lawyers have called for an urgent review of the guideline hourly rates―the baseline figures used by judges to assess the fees charged by solicitors
The Court of Appeal has quashed the convictions of three members of the Oval Four
Lawyers have been asked for their views on the first piece of regulatory guidance on artificial intelligence (AI)
A combination of technology, deregulation, market disruption and commercial pressures are forecast to cause a fall in employment in the legal services sector of 13,000 (4%) over the next seven years
The general election could spell the end for the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, lawyers say
175th Law Society President driven to promote diversity & UK PLC
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Kennedys—Milan Devani
Chief information officer appointment strengthens technology leadership
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Maguire Family Law—Hannah Barlow & Sophie Hughes
Firm strengthens Wilmslow team with two solicitor appointments
DWF—Ian Plumley
Londoninsurance and reinsurance practice announces partner appointment
NEWS
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
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
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
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’
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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