THIS ISSUE
The cleaner did it! John Gould considers the rules & responsibilities which apply to non-solicitor employees of a firm
Andy Cullwick considers how law firms are facing up to an uncertain future, & how they can best adapt to it
David Jones & Evie Meleagros consider the progress & challenges of cryptoasset cases in the courts of England & Wales
Spying on your government is bad enough… but writing a book about it? Athelstane Aamodt explains why things are not always as they seem
Law firms have been warned again not to use litigation aimed at silencing critics—known as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).
A criminal offence of sharing ‘deepfakes’—explicit images or videos which have been manipulated to look like someone without their consent—is to be added to the Online Safety Bill, in a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) amendment.
An anonymous party known only as ‘Cøbra’ cannot take part in legal proceedings in England and Wales, the High Court has confirmed in a ground-breaking decision.
The Supreme Court’s decision regarding a draft Scottish Independence Referendum Bill will ‘not have come as a surprise’ to the first minister, according to public law specialist Stephen Parkinson.
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett, is to retire on 30 September 2023, after six years in post.
Ten firms out of 40 taking part in a Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) thematic review of immigration services providers have been referred to disciplinary processes after ‘significant shortcomings’ were found.
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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