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NLJ this week: Safeguarding failures, Letby & the upcoming Thirlwall report

09 May 2025
Issue: 8115 / Categories: Legal News , Abuse , Child law , Family , National Health Service , Health & safety
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The Thirlwall Inquiry into the deaths of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, in respect of which nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murder and attempted murder, held its final hearings in March

In this week’s NLJ, Richard Scorer, head of abuse law and public inquiries, Slater & Gordon Lawyers, reports on the disturbing detail which emerged from the inquiry and considers what its final recommendations are likely to encompass.

Lady Justice Thirlwall has indicated she will publish her final report before the end of the year. Scorer writes: ‘A striking aspect of the case is how parents were kept entirely in the dark about the hospital’s concerns regarding Letby, only discovering the true picture through the later criminal investigation and trial... it is beyond argument that the duty of candour was not honoured in this case, and this reinforces concerns that the duty of candour is being routinely ignored across much of the NHS.’ 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team

Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

North west team expands with senior private client and property hires

Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

Firm boosts corporate team in Newcastle to support high-growth technology businesses

NEWS

NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925

HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
Law firm HFW is offering clients lawyers on call for dawn raids, sanctions issues and other regulatory emergencies
From gender-critical speech to notice periods and incapability dismissals, employment law continues to turn on fine distinctions. In his latest employment law brief for NLJ, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School reviews a cluster of recent decisions, led by Bailey v Stonewall, where the Court of Appeal clarified the limits of third-party liability under the Equality Act
Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
Assisted dying remains one of the most fraught fault lines in English law, where compassion and criminal liability sit uncomfortably close. Writing in NLJ this week, Julie Gowland and Barny Croft of Birketts examine how acts motivated by care—booking travel, completing paperwork, or offering emotional support—can still fall within the wide reach of the Suicide Act 1961
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