THIS ISSUE
Andrew Francis welcomes the court’s much-needed clarity on rights of light
The Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Johnson v FirstRand Bank [2025] UKSC 33 is unpacked by Toby Riley-Smith KC, Thomas Samuels and Douglas Maxwell of Henderson Chambers in this week's NLJ
The case of Caster Semenya highlights the disadvantages faced by athletes under mandatory sports arbitration systems: Dr Estelle Ivanova sets out the need for greater oversight
The Leveson review proposes mandatory judge-alone trials in serious & complex fraud cases: Lloyd Firth argues this runs counter to the interests of justice
A recent case gives clarity on arbitral awards & stay of execution: Masood Ahmed & Osman Mohammed report
In this week's issue, Ellie Hampson-Jones of Stewarts analyses the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Standish v Standish [2025] UKSC 26. The court clarified that non-matrimonial property—such as assets acquired before marriage—should generally be excluded from the sharing principle in divorce
Are your bags packed? Globetrotting guru Dominic Regan signs off for the summer with an au revoir, plus some top travel tips
Despite the initial headlines, the decision in Johnson is likely to be the end of a new beginning. Toby Riley-Smith KC, Thomas Samuels & Douglas Maxwell set out why
New arbitration law in; October’s CPR treats; needs of a Sch 1 mum; CPR 187th update; covert recordings; good news for shy directors.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson
Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme
Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton
Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team
Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood
Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property
NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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