THIS ISSUE
Costs rates up; forget the merits; specials interest down; parking ticket escape; tale of 94 dodgy divorces; reporters rule, OK!
Justice reigns supreme: Brice Dickson rounds up the work of the Supreme Court justices in 2024
With developments in GenAI rapidly gaining pace, how might it shape litigation in the coming years? Ariane Tadayyon of Opus 2 explains how lawyers can best harness its potential
Candid camera? Henry Venables highlights the increasing sophistication of spyware in family cases
Magistrates have asked for more flexibility and creativity when sentencing convicted criminals, and urged the government not to abolish custodial terms of less than six months.
A fair trial could not be guaranteed after leading counsel for the defendant fell ill, the Commercial Court has held.
The government has dropped its plans to digitise historic wills and destroy the original paper copies, following ‘strong opposition’ from the public.
Lawyers have until 31 January to respond to Sir Brian Leveson’s independent review of the criminal courts.
The Law Society has given a warm welcome to the government’s ‘AI opportunities action plan’, published this week.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams
Private wealth and tax team welcomes cross-border specialist as consultant
Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias
International hospitality and leisure specialist joins corporate team as partner
Flint Bishop—Deborah Niven
Firm appoints head of intellectual property to drive northern growth
NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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