THIS ISSUE
Family lawyer and NLJ columnist David Burrows works his way through a maze of legal aid provisions and considers the frequently misunderstood rule of contempt of court, in this week’s NLJ
Draft sentencing guidelines for selling or possessing counterfeit goods intended for sale have been published by the Sentencing Council
The easing of lockdown restrictions could unleash a wave of property-related litigation, Phil Sissons, of Falcon Court, writes in this week’s NLJ
Professor Chris Bones, chair of CILEx, makes the case for reforming professional regulation, in this week’s NLJ
It’s time for structural change to resolve bullying and harassment in the legal profession, consulting barrister Kevin Charles, of Crossland Employment Solicitors, writes in this week’s NLJ
Will the easing of lockdown restrictions also unleash a wave of property related litigation? Phil Sissons, Falcon Chambers
Jessica Clay & Lucy Williams, of Kingsley Napley, examine the potential for lasting legal services reform, in the light of Professor Mayson’s report
David Burrows navigates through a labyrinth of legal aid provisions & tackles the much misunderstood ‘contempt’
Ian Smith walks the line of three recent employment cases
Professor Chris Bones of CILEx explains why the legal profession should not stand in the way of regulatory change
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Forbes Solicitors—Stephen Barnfield
Regulatory team boosted by partner hire amid rising health and safety demand
Arc Pensions Law—Kris Weber
Legal director promoted to partner at specialist pensions firm
Clarke Willmott—Jonathan Cree
Residential development capability expands with partner hire in Birmingham
NEWS
From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed
Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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