THIS ISSUE
The legal profession’s claim to be a ‘guardian of fairness’ is under scrutiny after stark findings on gender imbalance and opaque progression. Writing in NLJ this week, Joshua Purser of No5 Barristers’ Chambers and Govindi Deerasinghe of Global 50/50 warn that leadership remains dominated by a narrow elite, with men holding 71% of top court roles
Can documents produced by AI systems be legally privileged? Stacie Bourton, Tom Whittaker & Beata Kolodziej consider the lessons to learn from recent cases
New reforms go some way towards filling employment law’s long-acknowledged statutory gap, writes Robert Hargreaves
A legal challenge to police disclosure rules has failed, reinforcing a push for transparency in policing. In NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth examines a case where the Metropolitan Police required officers to declare membership of groups like the Freemasons
Bereavement leave is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. Writing in NLJ this week, Robert Hargreaves of York St John University explains how the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a day-one right to leave for a wider range of losses, alongside new provisions for pregnancy loss and bereaved partners
Minesh Tanna & David Bridge set out a new framework of guidance for experts who use AI
Nicholas Dobson on judicial shortcomings & Shakespeare
Courts are beginning to grapple with whether AI-generated material is legally privileged—and the answers are mixed. In this week's issue of NLJ, Stacie Bourton, Tom Whittaker & Beata Kolodziej of Burges Salmon examine US rulings showing how easily privilege can be lost
A fair & equitable profession? Joshua Purser & Govindi Deerasinghe explore some troubling research
New guidance seeks to bring order to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Minesh Tanna and David Bridge of Simmons & Simmons set out a framework stressing ‘transparency’, ‘explainability’ and ‘reliability’
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling
Clarke Willmott bolsters housebuilder expertise in Birmingham
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Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina
Firm adds former Simmons Simmons patent head to engineering and tech team
ACTAPS—Sally Goodger
Freeths strengthens its voice in national disputes with ACTAPS committee appointment
NEWS
Pastries may be in the firing line while kebabs escape scrutiny, but the reality is far more nuanced
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dillon highlights a central tension in modern public law: rights may be recognised without being fully realised
A landmark ruling has delivered the first judicial application of the UK’s anti-SLAPP regime and provided fresh guidance on abusive litigation
Non-court dispute resolution is no longer an alternative in family law—it is rapidly becoming the norm
Some employment law controversies never disappear—they merely lie dormant
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