Issue: Vol 175, Issue 8112

In this month’s brief, Ian Smith pays tribute to a titan of industrial relations & applauds the brevity of judgments in days gone by

In days gone by, judges wrote shorter judgments, barrister Ian Smith, emeritus professor of employment law at the Norwich Law School, UEA, writes in his latest employment law update for NLJ. Surely, they can’t have more time on their hands now?

How close is too close? Intellectual property barrister Professor Mark Engelman, 4-5 Gray’s Inn, considers the concept of trade mark dilution, in this week’s NLJ.

Is the UK playing catch-up in its lack of laws surrounding pet disputes? Shivi Rajput considers the current treatment of four-legged family members

The Chancellor plans to cut 15% from the civil service budget in the next five years. How would this affect the courts and justice system? In this week’s NLJ, Mark Jones, partner, and Alex Curran, senior associate, Payne Hicks Beach, look at the potential impact from a range of perspectives if the Ministry of Justice budget is cut by 15%, including the criminal courts—where the backlog is so extreme that ‘at Snaresbrook Crown Court, trials for suspects on bail are currently being listed in November 2028’.

The Law Society and Bar Council have endorsed a Europe-wide statement of support for US lawyers targeted by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Judicial bullying and poor conduct appear to be increasing, according to Criminal Bar Association (CBA) research.

A company seeking an anti-suit injunction has lost at the Court of Appeal due to its failure to provide enough information.

Job applicants are not protected as whistleblowers, the Court of Appeal has confirmed.