THIS ISSUE
Cryptocurrency has been recognised as property, in a ground-breaking case, but the courts are grappling and wrestling with this area of law
It’s not just the Scots who dream of independence, the Welsh do too
Criminal courts have ground to a halt for the second week running as criminal barristers continued their strike
The Supreme Court has been assigned the task of deciding whether the Scottish Parliament has authority to legislate for a consultative referendum on independence without the approval of Westminster
Are we still allowed to protest?
Will Scotland leave?
Contempt of court could be overhauled, due to public confusion about what the law means, inconsistencies in application, and the impact of social media
Profoundly deaf people who need a BSL interpreter can now sit on juries―part of a clutch of reforms in force from last week, under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act
The government ‘has failed to make the case for repealing and replacing the Human Rights Act with a Bill of Rights in the form proposed’, the chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), Joanna Cherry QC MP has warned
More than £550,000 has been raised for free legal advice charities by the annual London Legal Walk
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Birketts—trainee cohort
Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025
Keoghs—four appointments
Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Brabners—Ben Lamb
Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner
NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
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