THIS ISSUE
Former district judge Stephen Gold covers the legal issues and remedies where a lawyer makes a harmless error, in this week’s NLJ. Gold notes the court’s view, in the particular case mentioned, that ‘the court should not punish a party for the harmless error of its legal representatives’.
Can the Law Commission’s consultation finally deliver radical reforms 30 years in the making? Martin Rackstraw weighs up the issues at hand
Whiplash mini-rise; discrimination bands up; apologies OK; wrong defendant blues; non-binary name change.
Dr Chris Pamplin explores evidence of fact among ‘the tangled thicket’ of expert evidence
Like the elephant in the famous parable, trade mark dilution isn’t easily determined, writes Mark Engelman
Disputes over pets during divorce are on the rise. In this week’s NLJ, Shivi Rajput, partner at Stowe Family Law, looks at recent developments in the law.
Is it possible to own a freehold or leasehold estate in a tree? Mark Pawlowski digs deep
Planned cuts to the Civil Service risk adding further pressure to a public court system already at breaking point: Mark Jones & Alex Curran report on the deepening crisis
Experts can give evidence that is then considered factual rather than expert evidence within CPR 35. In this week’s NLJ, Dr Chris Pamplin, editor of the UK Register of Expert Witnesses, explores the fine line between evidence of fact and expert opinion.
The wrongful convictions of innocent sub-postmasters and of Andrew Malkinson, who was also entirely innocent, are shocking. The appeals system has been in need of ‘radical overhaul’ for decades, Martin Rackstraw, criminal partner at Russell-Cooke, writes in this week’s NLJ.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NLJ Career Profile: Hugo Plowman, Mishcon de Reya
From global fraud cases to fishing off-grid, Mishcon de Reya’s chair of dispute resolution Hugo Plowman discusses mentors, management switching off
Maguire Family Law—Jennifer Hudec, Ciara Florey, Alice Ferguson & Ruth Wynn
Maguire Family Law announces partner promotion and new hires amid a record year for enquiries
Switalskis—Rebecca Parry & Hannah Gamble
Switalskis wills and probate team extends reach with two appointments
NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
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