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
NLJ Career Profile: Daniel Burbeary, Michelman Robinson
Daniel Burbeary, office managing partner of Michelman Robinson, discusses launching in London, the power of the law, and what the kitchen can teach us about litigating
Joelson—Jennifer Mansoor
West End firm strengthens employment and immigration team with partner hire
Sidley—Jeremy Trinder
Global finance group strengthened by returning partner in London
NEWS
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’
The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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