THIS ISSUE
The courts have drawn a firm line under attempts to extend arbitration appeals. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed of the University of Leicester highlights that if the High Court refuses permission under s 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996, that is the end
Tightening the prosecution test, not curbing jury trials, could stem the flow of weak cases overwhelming the crown court, argues David Wolchover
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping day-to-day legal work, but are qualification rules lagging behind? In NLJ this week, Dr Alan Ma of Birmingham City University argues the SQE ignores a crucial modern skill: ‘digital judgement’
Masood Ahmed explores constraints on the Court of Appeal’s powers with regard to arbitral awards
Serial sperm donor Robert Albon has lost his bid for a declaration of paternity, ‘on the ground that to grant it would manifestly be contrary to public policy’
The government is considering wholesale reform of consumer class actions—the ‘opt-out’ collective claims certified by the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT)
A ‘sophisticated suspected fraud’ may have taken place at PM Law involving the improper removal and misuse of about £39.5m of client funds, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will invest in technology to catch tech-reliant fraudsters and handle voluminous case materials
Law firms enjoyed rapid
growth in 2025, according
to a Financial Benchmarking
Survey, published by the Law
Society last week
The Legal Services Board (LSB) aims to reduce burdens on well-performing regulators and will pursue an intelligence-led, risk-based and targeted approach to oversight, its business plan for 2026–27, published this week, reveals
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Slater Heelis—Probate & Court of Protection team
Slater Heelis brings Probate and Court of Protection expertise together with new dedicated team
Clarke Willmott—Antonia Power
Antonia Power joins Clarke Willmott in Taunton
Haynes Boone—Chris Acton
Chris Acton joins Haynes Boone as chair of UK derivatives platform
NEWS
Civil practitioners face changes spanning debt recovery, workplace harassment and possession claims, alongside guidance on insolvency challenges and children proceedings
Finding matrimonial wealth is as challenging as dividing it, as family disputes draw practitioners into asset tracing, offshore structures and insolvency
Agreement between opponents offers no guarantee that a court will approve a retrospective increase to a costs budget
Climate change belongs on every lawyer’s agenda, with risks extending far beyond environmental practice into commercial advice, litigation and access to justice
Workplace bullying and harassment can no longer be left solely to HR, as financial regulation scrutinises culture, character and fitness
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