THIS ISSUE
John Gould looks at the rules on out-of-office bad behaviour
Guidance on how to apply for probate online using the MyHMCTS portal has been published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service
The winter 2020–spring 2021 Pre-Application Judicial Education Programme (PAJE) is now open for applications
The Department for Transport has launched a Consultation on using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, due to end at 11.59pm on 17 January 2021
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett has hosted an online event with Chief Justices from around the Commonwealth to discuss their experiences of responding to COVID-19
More than 10,000 potential victims of modern slavery were identified in the UK last year, the Home Secretary Priti Patel has said
A telecom operator must pay a landowner £5,000 per year for a rooftop phone mast in Peckham, South London, the Upper Tribunal has held in a landmark case
A claimant did not give informed consent to her no win no fee lawyers deducting £385 from her damages, the High Court has held in a test case on recoverability of costs
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published draft guidance for prosecutors on rape myths and stereotypes, in the first full update in eight years
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Birketts—trainee cohort
Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025
Keoghs—four appointments
Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Brabners—Ben Lamb
Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner
NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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