THIS ISSUE
Fifteen years on from the creation of the Ministry of Justice, we are sleepwalking into an existential crisis on the rule of law
How well do you know your history?
How many experts do you require? Timing may be relevant to the answer as will costs proportionality, according to Dr Chris Pamplin, editor of UK Register of Expert Witnesses
Writing in this week’s NLJ, David Walbank QC looks at ‘reasonable expectation of privacy’, an issue ‘of perennial concern to those who find themselves under criminal investigation but wish to avoid a media circus in the full glare of publicity’
This month, David Walbank QC focuses on a successful attempt to avoid a media scrum & an ongoing campaign to avoid extradition
David Mayor on why it’s vital to understand the needs of the client when pursuing civil claims for abuse
Legal privilege: with rights come responsibilities, as Mark Solon explains
How many experts are required? Timing may be relevant to the answer, writes Chris Pamplin
Claire Christopholus & David Locke on a clinical negligence claim that ran again & the influence of Bailey
We are sleepwalking into an existential crisis for the UK—on the rule of law. Fifteen years on from the creation of the Ministry of Justice, Roger Smith sets out why
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye
Investigations and corporate crime expert joins as partner
Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw
Veteran funds specialist joins investment funds team
Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield
Firm enhances competition practice with London partner hire
NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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