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05 June 2026
Issue: 8164 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice , Civil way , Damages , Liability
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NLJ this week: Civil procedure’s quiet rule changes

A series of procedural developments could have significant practical consequences for litigators. Writing in NLJ this week, columnist Stephen Gold highlights important updates ranging from digital court reforms to family procedure and admissions of liability

Among the headline changes are expanded capabilities within the Damages Claims Portal, allowing certain non-monetary claims to be handled digitally, and revisions to standard family orders under the supervision of Mr Justice Peel.

Gold also examines a High Court ruling confirming that pre-action admissions made before October 2023 may still require court permission to withdraw. In Industrial Maintenance Engineers v Webster Miller, an insurer's statement that 'liability is accepted' proved decisive, binding the defendant despite later insurance complications.

Meanwhile, defendants in credit hire disputes are warned to draft debarring orders carefully after Motor Insurers Bureau v Houston clarified the limits of restrictions relating to impecuniosity evidence. 

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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