THIS ISSUE
What does this term of Parliament have in store?
The shocking, lurid reporting of British backpacker Grace Millane’s murder trial serves as a reminder that the ‘rough sex’ defence continues to be used to trivialise violence against women and deny victims justice.
Lady Hale retires from the Supreme Court this month, leaving a trove of case law with ‘massive breadth’, writes family lawyer & NLJ columnist David Burrows in this week’s NLJ
Irrelevant details about a victim’s sexual history are not a defence to murder or assault, says Claire Christopholus
The Law Commission has launched its proposals for reform of leasehold, which it claims could potentially save homeowners millions of pounds
Nottingham Law School has won a contract to provide solicitor apprenticeships to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
David Cooper breaks down the costs ruling in Monex
Malicious prosecution of civil claims—a difficult claim to pursue. Kathryn Garbett & Mehmet Karagoz report
With a new Government sworn in, Michael Zander provides an update on what has changed from the No 1 Bill
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Harper James—Lottie Hugo
Commercial law firm announces appointment of corporate partner
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Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond
Partner joinscorporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands
Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell
Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert
NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
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