THIS ISSUE
Former CILEx President Stephen Gowland has become the first Chartered Legal Executive to be appointed to the Legal Services Board (LSB)
Judges are to be given a 2% pay rise, backdated to 1 April, the government has said
The announcement of ten temporary Blackstone courts (legal equivalent of Nightingale hospitals) ‘feels like the Emperor’s new clothes’, the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) chair Caroline Goodwin QC has said
A parliamentary committee is investigating the lack of progress on resolving racial inequalities in the protection of human rights in the UK
Lawyers who enter into damages-based agreements (DBAs) can be paid in the event of early termination, the High Court has confirmed
The long-awaited ‘Russia report’ has called for new legislation to ‘tackle espionage, the illicit financial dealings of the Russian elite and the “enablers” who support this activity’
The Law Commission has proposed radical reforms to home ownership, making it simpler for leaseholders to extend their lease, buy the freehold and take over the management
Shamima Begum, one of three east London schoolgirls who joined Isis in Syria in 2015 when she was 15 years old, will receive a fair trial only if she is allowed to return to the UK, the Court of Appeal has held
Ten temporary ‘Nightingale’ courts will be up and running in August to help clear the backlog of cases, the government has said
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NLJ Career Profile: Hugo Plowman, Mishcon de Reya
From global fraud cases to fishing off-grid, Mishcon de Reya’s chair of dispute resolution Hugo Plowman discusses mentors, management switching off
Maguire Family Law—Jennifer Hudec, Ciara Florey, Alice Ferguson & Ruth Wynn
Maguire Family Law announces partner promotion and new hires amid a record year for enquiries
Switalskis—Rebecca Parry & Hannah Gamble
Switalskis wills and probate team extends reach with two appointments
NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
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