THIS ISSUE
A film series on the next generation of women leaders in the law, Next 100 Voices, has been launched by Next 100 Years, the successor project to First 100 Years
The Court of Appeal has unanimously rejected BT’s argument that a collective proceedings order (CPO) should be ‘opt-in’, in a mass action claiming it abused its dominant market position by charging excessive landline prices
Solicitors are being asked for their views on how to stop unscrupulous sellers, following a surge in the funeral plans market
LawCare, the mental health charity for the legal profession, has extended its online chat service from one to four days a week
Tail docking, animal fighting, animal mutilation, administering poison and causing unnecessary suffering are to be given more severe sentences, under proposed Sentencing Council guidelines
The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) has launched a consultation on the impact of fixed recoverable costs (FRC) on vulnerable parties and witnesses in civil cases
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Freeths—Rachel Crosier
Projects and rail practices strengthened by director hire in London
DWF—Stephen Hickling
Real estate team in Birmingham welcomes back returning partner
Ward Hadaway—44 appointments
Firm invests in national growth with 44 appointments across five offices
NEWS
Criminal juries may be convicting—or acquitting—on a misunderstanding. Writing in NLJ this week Paul McKeown, Adrian Keane and Sally Stares of The City Law School and LSE report troubling survey findings on the meaning of ‘sure’
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has narrowly preserved a key weapon in its anti-corruption arsenal. In this week's NLJ, Jonathan Fisher KC of Red Lion Chambers examines Guralp Systems Ltd v SFO, in which the High Court ruled that a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) remained in force despite the company’s failure to disgorge £2m by the stated deadline
As the drip-feed of Epstein disclosures fuels ‘collateral damage’, the rush to cry misconduct in public office may be premature. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke of Hill Dickinson warns that the offence is no catch-all for political embarrassment. It demands a ‘grave departure’ from proper standards, an ‘abuse of the public’s trust’ and conduct ‘sufficiently serious to warrant criminal punishment’
Employment law is shifting at the margins. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ this week, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School examines a Court of Appeal ruling confirming that volunteers are not a special legal species and may qualify as ‘workers’
Refusing ADR is risky—but not always fatal. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed and Sanjay Dave Singh of the University of Leicester analyse Assensus Ltd v Wirsol Energy Ltd: despite repeated invitations to mediate, the defendant stood firm, made a £100,000 Part 36 offer and was ultimately ‘wholly vindicated’ at trial
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