THIS ISSUE
Nick Vineall KC explores the difference pro bono can make to the community & barristers alike
Jeffrey Wale wonders about the future of open justice as the civil justice digitisation process rolls on
Simon Walton highlights disturbing bias inherent in AI case prediction tools
Jago Russell and Ross Ludlow explain the reasons behind the trend for de-banking
New pre-trial checklists; Intermediate track hearing fee; No fault possession; Help with Fees revamped
Caroline Field covers recent developments in the use of non-compete clauses to control ex-employees
Michael L Nash considers the role of the King as diplomat
Nick Wrightson asks searching questions about the nature of public inquiries
In his second article on anonymisation in family proceedings, David Burrows considers what, in law, does anonymisation mean?
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach
Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office
Farrer & Co—Richard Lane
Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner
Bird & Bird—Sue McLean
Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner
NEWS
The legal profession’s claim to be a ‘guardian of fairness’ is under scrutiny after stark findings on gender imbalance and opaque progression. Writing in NLJ this week, Joshua Purser of No5 Barristers’ Chambers and Govindi Deerasinghe of Global 50/50 warn that leadership remains dominated by a narrow elite, with men holding 71% of top court roles
A legal challenge to police disclosure rules has failed, reinforcing a push for transparency in policing. In NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth examines a case where the Metropolitan Police required officers to declare membership of groups like the Freemasons
Bereavement leave is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. Writing in NLJ this week, Robert Hargreaves of York St John University explains how the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a day-one right to leave for a wider range of losses, alongside new provisions for pregnancy loss and bereaved partners
Courts are beginning to grapple with whether AI-generated material is legally privileged—and the answers are mixed. In this week's issue of NLJ, Stacie Bourton, Tom Whittaker & Beata Kolodziej of Burges Salmon examine US rulings showing how easily privilege can be lost
New guidance seeks to bring order to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Minesh Tanna and David Bridge of Simmons & Simmons set out a framework stressing ‘transparency’, ‘explainability’ and ‘reliability’
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