THIS ISSUE
There’s good news for the family album, in this week’s Civil way, with the news that ‘those delightful post-adoption order photographs at court with child, family and judge’ may be allowed after all
Tucked within the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 is a provision with ‘profound implications’ for victims of crime, Nicholas Yeo and Ryan Dowding, both barristers at 3 Raymond Building, write in this week’s NLJ
What does the coronial system actually achieve? Not much, according to some bereaved families who receive a ringside seat to the process of recommendations being made then ignored
What do you know about the intermediate track (recently added to the small claims, fast and multi tracks)? In this week’s NLJ, Tricia Hemans and Daniel Black, both barristers at Falcon Chambers, provide a useful, in-depth and practical guide to the intermediate track—complete with handy checklist
The Ministry of Justice faces multi-million-pound cuts, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) analysis of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement
Local authorities have a duty to provide accommodation within a reasonable period of time rather than immediately, the Supreme Court has held in a unanimous landmark judgment
Lawyers have urged parliament to clear up the confusion over litigation funding in group action cases arising from PACCAR
The Sentencing Council has launched a consultation on revisions to the ‘Imposition of community and custodial sentences draft guideline’
The Lord Chancellor, Lady Chief Justice, Master of the Rolls, senior judiciary and representatives of the Ministry of Justice have set out their shared vision for greater digitisation within the civil justice system, including the online provision of pre-proceedings information and dispute resolution
The High Court has handed down a landmark ruling on artificial intelligence (AI), which will allow key aspects of AI to be patented in the UK for the first time
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
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
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
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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