THIS ISSUE
NLJ columnist Stephen Gold pulls on his wellingtons for this week’s ‘Civil way’, in which he considers new regulations affecting England’s 19,400 tenant farmers, and he doesn’t stop there
Who shoulders the blame in bribery cases? Allison Clare QC, of Red Lion Chambers, examines the ‘adequate procedures’ defence―’one of the most vexed questions’―in this week’s NLJ
The NHS pays out about £2.4bn in compensation each year, about one third of which is for legal fees, yet both clinical staff and families are left dissatisfied with the results of the clinical negligence system. A doctor shares her opinion on flaws in the system, in this week’s NLJ
With a 60,000 backlog at the Crown Court and chronically overcrowded prisons, the criminal justice system is in a parlous state, Martin Rackstraw, partner, Russell-Cooke, writes in this week’s NLJ. Could a recent case make the situation worse?
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are at significant risk of having their human rights breached by legislation to criminalise unauthorised encampments, a Parliamentary committee has warned
The clinical negligence system is causing rising costs for the NHS while ‘perpetuating a culture of blame’, according to a report, ‘The safety of maternity services in England’
Pandemic-related delays in medical treatment and operations have led to a spike in enquiries about clinical negligence, according to law firm Wright Hassall
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is looking for a psychiatrist to serve as a fee-paid medical member on the First-Tier Tribunal Health Education and Social Care Chamber (Mental Health)
The Charity Commission has set out an extensive array of guidance on COVID-19 for the charity sector
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Switalskis—Sally Ann Masih, Suzy Overton & Jane Beaumont
Trio of recruits strengthens Switalskis residential property team
Ward Hadaway—Steven Hayward
Birmingham law firm appoints construction partner
Flint Bishop—six appointments
Flint Bishop accelerates Northern growth through strategic senior appointments
NEWS
A High Court decision has clarified that a home may be unfit for human habitation not only where conditions endanger health or safety, but also where they seriously undermine comfort and convenience
A longer time limit for employment tribunal claims, new charity law thresholds, property tribunal recruitment and appellate guidance on small-claims costs feature in the latest Civil Way round-up
A recent High Court ruling could make issue estoppel considerably more complex in cross-border litigation, requiring parties to consider the foreign law governing the underlying claim
The Supreme Court has overturned Cheshire West’s bright-line test for deprivation of liberty, replacing it with a broader, more contextual assessment that gives greater weight to an individual’s wishes, feelings and apparent consent
Jonathan Fisher KC’s wide-ranging fraud report contains worthwhile proposals, but turning them into workable reform will require money, capacity and political will
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