THIS ISSUE
Eleanor Leedham reports on lessons learned from Mr Merricks’ multi-billion-pound action against Mastercard: what could this mean for other collective proceedings?
Legal aid has been run into the ground. Is it time for public defenders to step in, asks Roger Smith
James Halsted & Marcin Durlak on the legal dangers of getting lost in translation
Mass dismissal of P&O staff has shed a light on limitations of UK labour law, says Charles Pigott
Simone Potter & Sarah Hill-Smith from The Chancery Lane Project discuss pro bono pathways to using climate clauses
In a wide-ranging interview with NLJ, Mrs Justice Cockerill, head of the Commercial Court, describes the new challenges facing the court and how the pandemic allowed it to test new ways of working that will leave a lasting legacy.
Tom Bedford & Chris Dyke examine the regulatory consequences for firms arising from the war in Ukraine
The four HM Chief Inspectors of police, Criminal Prosecution Service, probation and prison services have issued a devastating warning on the ‘knock-on effect’ of the courts backlog
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Weightmans—Elborne Mitchell & Myton Law
Firm expands in London and Leeds with dual merger
Boodle Hatfield—Clare Pooley & Michael Duffy
Private wealth and real estate firmpromotes two to partner and five to senior associate
Constantine Law—James Baker & Julie Goodway
Agile firm expands employment team with two partner hires
NEWS
From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed
Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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