THIS ISSUE
Claimants: smile for the camera; costs risks of will challenge; bye bye holiday lets; costs schedules unappealing.
Civil procedure continues to evolve with a distinctly practical edge. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold highlights how courts are resisting technical traps—from overlooking missing costs schedules to admitting late surveillance evidence where no ‘ambush’ arises
Should police personnel disclose membership of the Freemasons? Neil Parpworth explores a telling case
Government plans to slash Crown Court delays by cutting jury trials face mounting criticism. In NLJ this week, Michael Zander KC warns proposals to shift cases to magistrates’ courts could ‘make the present very bad situation even worse’
Michael Zander KC on the Courts & Tribunals Bill
Pathfinder courts—renamed ‘Child focused courts’—are to be rolled out nationally, following a successful pilot where backlogs halved and cases were resolved up to seven and a half months faster
The Court of Appeal has unanimously dismissed a £385,000 costs order against a father, in a case that centred on what is required to meet the threshold of ‘reprehensible or unreasonable’ behaviour
Centuries-old burial laws would be overhauled, under Law Commission proposals to address the burgeoning problem of shortage of cemetery space
The government has committed an extra £32m to women’s charities and services tackling addiction, trauma, abuse and homelessness
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Ward Hadaway—19 promotions
19 promotions across national offices, including two new partners
Brabners—Ruth Hargreaves
Partner promoted to head of corporate team
Slater Heelis—Liam Hall, Jordan Bear & Joe Madigan
Chester office expansion accelerates with triple appointment
NEWS
As AI chatbots increasingly provide legal and commercial advice, English law is beginning to confront who should bear responsibility when automated systems get things wrong
Businesses are facing a ‘dramatic rise in prosecution risks’ as sweeping reforms to corporate criminal liability come into force, expanding the net of who can be held responsible for wrongdoing inside organisations
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys has reignited debate over what exactly counts as the ‘conduct of litigation’ in modern legal practice
A controversial High Court financial remedies ruling has reignited debate over secrecy, non-disclosure and fairness in divorce proceedings involving hidden wealth
Britain’s deferred prosecution agreement regime is undergoing a significant shift, with prosecutors placing renewed emphasis on corporate cooperation, reform and early self-reporting
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
