THIS ISSUE
Former District Judge and NLJ columnist Stephen Gold writes in this week’s Civil Way about the ‘sacrilege’ of the closure of the Mayor’s and City of London Court, the latest ‘pea green’ fashion in family law tomes, and the scandalous ‘repayments whizz’ of the 0.5% interest rate of HMRC repayments
In an NLJ expert witness supplement this week, forensic accountant George Sim, of Sim Kapila, puts forward arguments for and against single joint experts, while expert witness trainer Bond Solon founder Mark Solon looks at the expert’s fundamental duty to assist the court
A part-year music teacher who works irregular hours but has a continuing contract is entitled to the same statutory paid leave as full-time employees, the Supreme Court has held in a landmark judgment
Costs to be capped to protect individuals
Solicitors representing clients in creative fields face a much harder task when bring claims for financial losses, Suzanne Trask, partner at Bolt, Burdon Kemp, writes in this week’s NLJ. They must present more evidence and work harder to portray as clear a position as possible
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has now moved the barrister strikes into its alternating weeks phase, as negotiations with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have stalled
MoJ to follow in Canada’s footsteps with mandatory mediation
What does ‘sure’ mean, when directing a jury on the standard of proof? Writing in this week’s NLJ, Paul McKeown, City University associate professor of law, looks at this nebulous, challengeable word, which leads to what judges call ‘dreaded questions’ from the jury
Progress in improving support for women in prisons is slow and limited, the Justice Committee has warned
The formidable legal Twitterati has come under the watchful eye of regulators concerned about the reputation of the profession
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Kennedys—Milan Devani
Chief information officer appointment strengthens technology leadership
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Maguire Family Law—Hannah Barlow & Sophie Hughes
Firm strengthens Wilmslow team with two solicitor appointments
DWF—Ian Plumley
Londoninsurance and reinsurance practice announces partner appointment
NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
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
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