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24 October 2025 / Grania Langdon-Down
Issue: 8136 / Categories: Features , Profession , In Court
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Leading from the front: The Right Honourable Sir Julian Flaux

In a candid and reflective interview with NLJ, Sir Julian Flaux, Chancellor of the High Court, looks back on more than four decades in law—first as a leading light at the Commercial Bar and then as one of the senior judiciary’s most respected figures. 

As he prepares to step down as Chancellor, he shares his insights on the challenges and triumphs of leading the Business and Property Courts through some of the most testing periods in recent memory, and on why morale, mentorship and balance matter most

After nearly five years as one of the most senior judges in England and Wales, Sir Julian Flaux retires from his role as Chancellor of the High Court at the end of October. He hands the baton on to Lord Justice Colin Birss at a time when the Business and Property Courts, including the Commercial Court, are busier than ever, scotching fears that Brexit would see work going to rival jurisdictions.

A recent Law Society report showed the London Commercial Court delivered 196 judgments in 2023–24 compared with 172

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal expands Midlands residential development team

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn adds employee benefits and executive compensation practice in London with partner Richard Surtees

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL appoints new partner and head of intellectual property disputes

NEWS
A series of recent decisions has clarified important principles across property law, from perpetuities to lease renewals and public rights over land
Employers cannot rely on wellbeing services alone to defend workplace stress claims after a High Court decision awarding almost £1m to an overworked employee
Andy Burnham's brand of 'Manchesterism' could offer fresh thinking on legal aid and access to justice if it reaches Westminster, according to Roger Smith, NLJ columnist and former director of JUSTICE
The constitutional fallout from a change of prime minister, rather than the politics, is under scrutiny as questions arise over the limits of executive authority in a leadership transition
The legal profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from selling services to creating technology-enabled products, according to Professor Luke Mason, Head of School of Law at Regent's University London
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