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
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
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
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
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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
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