THIS ISSUE
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: the criticisms mount. Michael Zander KC examines the scathing reports of two parliamentary committees
Natalie Todd surveys the boundaries for evidence gained by covert surveillance & other underhand tactics
Harry Matovu KC & Nicholas Heaton urge firms & chambers to support the Black Talent Charter
The government has committed itself to ratifying the Singapore Convention on Mediation, in a move welcomed by the legal profession
Despite the current dip in professional services as a whole, the legal sector is predicted to buck the trend and grow by 6% this year.
Convictions for child cruelty offences will lead to tougher punishments under revised sentencing guidelines.
The government has extended legal aid in private and public family law cases, and changed the evidential requirements for domestic abuse.
The chairman of the Manchester Arena inquiry has called for legislative change to ensure the participation of witnesses.
LawCare, the mental health and wellbeing charity, has launched a free online course for legal professionals.
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
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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