THIS ISSUE
Business around the world are dusting off the force majeure clauses in contracts as they seek to deal with the disruption caused by COVID-19, say barristers from Fountain Court
Extra wording has been added to the statement of truth―the verification that a witness or party believes their statement to be true, which is required by many court documents
Amendments to civil legal aid will come into force on 15 May, removing the ‘much maligned gateway’ for advice in discrimination, debt and special educational needs and reinstating face-to-face advice in these areas, as well as a small change to the evidence required to prove a person is at risk from domestic abuse and therefore eligible for legal aid, NLJ columnist Stephen Gold writes in the latest Civil Way
The Legal Aid Agency has amended its arrangements for hardship claims
A rugby spectator who exaggerated his injuries has had 15% knocked off his recoverable costs
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Land Registry is accepting deeds signed using the Mercury signing approach from 4 May.
The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has commissioned an urgent review into the impact of COVID-19 on the civil justice system
Dana Denis-Smith, CEO of Obelisk Support, has written an open letter to general counsel for diversity & inclusion, signed by 27 other female founders of legal services businesses
Judges must be ‘hard-headed’ when deciding which cases to prioritise for remote hearings and which can wait, the senior family judge has said
Law centres and advice charities have been offered a £5.4m boost to help them cope with increased demand for social welfare advice during the COVID-19 pandemic
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch
Partner hire strengthens global infrastructure and energy financing practice
Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr
Legal director bolsters international expertise in dispute resolution team
Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown
Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team
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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