THIS ISSUE
Making history: Ian Smith performs a perfect loop-the-loop & serves up three significant Court of Appeal decisions
A cruel joke followed by a slap grabbed the headlines and inspired heated debate at this year’s Oscars. Some even speculated it was staged
Family lawyers have hailed the new era of fault-free divorce, which takes effect this week after decades of campaigning
In the second part of a feature on the new fault-free divorce laws, NLJ columnist and solicitor-advocate David Burrows asks: is there a right to challenge an assertion of irretrievable breakdown?
Law firm welcomes banking and finance partner
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is to revise the statutory consultation part of the recruitment process from September, sometimes referred to as ‘secret soundings’
Insurer AXA has declined to appeal the Wolseley COVID-19 business interruption judgment test case, Corbin & King Ltd and others v AXA Insurance UK plc [2022] EWHC 409 (Comm), giving the hospitality sector hope of recovering their losses
Any child who witnesses domestic abuse will also be treated as a victim, under revised Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance published for consultation this week
A legal Task Force on Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine has been formed, with all member law firms and lawyers acting pro bono
Tini Owens, whose high-profile divorce went all the way to the Supreme Court, has welcomed the new ‘no-fault’ process
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires
Nikki Bowker, head of dispute resolution at Devonshires, on career resilience, diversity in law and channelling Elle Woods when the pressure is on
Ellisons—Sarah Osborne
Leasehold enfranchisement specialist joins residential property team
DWF—Chris Air
Firm strengthens commercial team in Manchester with partner appointment
NEWS
The government will aim to pass legislation banning leasehold for new flats and capping ground rent, introducing non-compulsory digital ID and creating a ‘duty of candour’ for public servants (also known as the Hillsborough law) in the next Parliament
An Italian financier has lost his bid to block his Australian wife from filing divorce papers in England on the basis it was no longer her domicile of choice
Reforms to the disclosure regime in the business and property courts have not achieved their objectives, lawyers have warned
The Law Society has urged ministers to hold a public consultation on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the justice system as a whole
Ministers have proposed bringing inquest work under a single fee scheme for legal help and advocacy legal aid work
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