THIS ISSUE
Kate Bex QC & Tom Jones consider the route to pursuing a case against the complainant’s choice
Neil Parpworth believes maiden speeches in the House of Commons in their current form are an extravagance which ought to come to an end
Shantanu Majumdar QC considers some aspects of the supposed division between arbitration & litigation
Masood Ahmed serves up a timely reminder that only offers inclusive of interest are valid under Part 36
Letitia Egan & Nicholas Whitehorn review the evidence for reforming the abortion law in the UK
Gross negligence manslaughter: when is there a serious & obvious risk of death? Simon Parsons examines the evidence
Nicholas Dobson revisits the Tate Gallery & discovers that mere overlooking is not nuisance
In a time of crisis what measures can the government introduce under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004? Michael Nash reports
With the UK currently not on track to meet legally-binding net-zero carbon targets, Martin Baxter & Safia Iman consider how successive governments can be held to account
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye
Investigations and corporate crime expert joins as partner
Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw
Veteran funds specialist joins investment funds team
Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield
Firm enhances competition practice with London partner hire
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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