Issue: Vol 161, Issue 7452

What future for legal aid?

Two recent decisions in different tribunals could not have been timed any better to liven up the debate raised in Jackson LJ’s proposals for civil costs reform and the government’s green paper.

Jen Hawkins & Malcolm Dowden explain why the Localism Bill heralds false hope, not a new dawn

Brace yourselves now! 2011 is set to be a bonanza on all fronts, says Ian Smith

Jonathan Herring reports on surrogacy dilemmas

Richard Scorer considers the rights & wrongs of kettling

Justin Bates revisits residential service charges

Nicholas Dobson tramples on outdated concepts of qualified privilege & proportionality

Jennie Gillies welcomes a decision which clarifies the relationship between contractual obligations & tortious duties

James Langford emphasises the importance of robust contracts