THIS ISSUE
Tech giant Apple has lost its latest bid to block a multi-million-pound class action by challenging the funding method.
Corporates who self-report wrongdoing ‘promptly’ will be able to negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) rather than face prosecution, unless ‘exceptional circumstances’ apply.
Barristers would like to use technology more effectively but face ‘significant’ barriers due to the unique characteristics of the profession, Bar Standards Board (BSB) research has found.
This year’s Bar Conference, to be held in Birmingham on 7 June, will feature a discussion on Bar culture with Baroness Harriet Harman KC, ahead of the publication of her independent report into bullying and harassment at the Bar.
Former judge Victoria McCloud, who retired last year, is applying to bring an Art 6 right to a fair trial infringement case against the UK before the European Court of Human Rights.
Judges, clerks and support staff have been issued with updated guidance on artificial intelligence (AI)
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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