From a Surrey oil well to the supreme court: how an activist changed UK climate law – The Guardian

Posted April 20th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Sarah Finch’s fight against drilling led to a landmark ruling on fossil fuel emissions – and a leading environmental prize.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 20th April 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

Adam Tomkins: On ABJ: Proscribed Organisations, Proportionality, and Freedom of Speech – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted April 20th, 2026 in news by sally

‘In R v ABJ [2026] UKSC 8 a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that the offence of expressing support for a proscribed organisation, as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000, is not a disproportionate interference with the right to freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court’s verdict was no surprise: the Court of Appeal had reached the same conclusion ([2024] EWCA Crim 1597) and the case sits alongside earlier appeal court rulings upholding the compatibility with Convention rights of other Terrorism Act offences relating to proscribed organisations: notably, R v Choudary [2016] EWCA Crim 61 (on inviting support for a proscribed organisation) and Pwr v DPP [2022] UKSC 2 (on carrying or displaying an article supportive of a proscribed organisation).’

Full Story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 20th April 2026

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Court gives clarity on delegation in Mazur – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 20th, 2026 in news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court ruling that had threatened to unsettle long-established models of supervised legal work. In Julia Mazur & Ors v CILEX & Ors [2026] EWCA Civ 369, the court held that unauthorised staff do not ‘carry on the conduct of litigation’ merely by performing tasks that fall within the statutory definition, provided they act under the supervision of an authorised person.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 17th April2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Survivor Accounts of the Use and Impacts of Oath-Taking Within Human Trafficking in the UK – Journal of Human Trafficking

Posted April 20th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Oath-taking ceremonies are common spiritual practices in some African regions. Oath-taking can be exploited as a means of psychological control within human trafficking. This study conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 West African women living in the UK who had experienced oath-taking when being trafficked to the UK. Thematic analysis generated four themes: Exploiting Fear of the Oath, Shifting of Power, Loss, and Living Alongside the Oath’s Impact. Survivors described factors influencing the oath’s ongoing impact on their lives. Findings highlight the need for greater recognition and targeted training regarding oath-taking within trafficking, plus recommendations for holistic, culturally sensitive clinical care.’

Full Story

Journal of Human Trafficking, 19th April 2026

Source: doi.org

Recent developments in whistleblowing: What a Wicked muddle – by John Bowers – UK Labour Law

Posted April 20th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Amendment of applications to the employment tribunals is usually a matter for the discretion of the tribunal and raises no point of law for appeal. Rarely have two cases (Rice v Wicked Vision [2025] EWCA Civ 1466) about an amendment of applications caused so much controversy and finished up in the Supre me Court, soon to be heard. The key question in both cases, however, was whether section 47B Employment Rights Act 1996 can found a claim against an employer arising from a co-worker’s act amounting to a dismissal and thus whether the amendment so to plead should be allowed to proceed. The detriment relied on in these cases is usually by way of instruction or pressure to dismiss exerted by a co-worker as a co-worker cannot himself actually dismiss anyone. The controversy engendered by these two cases involved considering in depth the status and meaning of the controversial Court of Appeal decision in Timis v Osipov [2019] ICR 655 (“Osipov”).’

Full Story

UK Labour Law, 20th April 2026

Source: uklabourlawblog.com

Clients expect lawyers to give them “at least weekly updates” – Legal Futures

Posted April 20th, 2026 in news by sally

‘The vast majority of clients expect their lawyers to update them “at least” weekly and also provide same-day responses to queries, research have found.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 20th April 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Copyright & artificial intelligence: Progress, pause and persistent uncertainty – Kingsley Napley Corporate and Commercial Law Blog

Posted April 20th, 2026 in news by sally

‘The UK Government has now published its March 2026 Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, following its 2024–25 consultation on the use of copyright‑protected works in AI training. The outcome is significant – not for what it introduces but for what it postpones.’

Full Story

Kingsley Napley Corporate and Commercial Law Blog, 16th April 2026

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

Privacy and the right to tell your own story – Journal of Media Law

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘This article examines when and how a person’s desire to tell their own story should affect the application of the English misuse of private information tort. It urges caution in cases where one party is trying to dictate retrospectively the terms on which a shared encounter occurred – especially when there is a significant power imbalance between the parties. The article argues, first, that courts determining reasonable expectations of privacy in respect of a shared experience should consider both parties’ attitude towards it. When it comes to the privacy/freedom-of-expression balancing at stage II, it suggests a defendant’s desire to make limited disclosures to family and friends should almost always prevail. A genuine desire to talk about one’s own shared experience should also help justify disclosures about shared experience to the public at large, at least when there is a wider public interest in the storyand privacy damage is minimised.’

Full Story

Journal of Media Law, 7th April 2026

Source: doi.org

Nine universities start legal action over student loan error row – BBC News

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Nine universities have begun legal action against the government in a row over students being asked to repay loans as soon as possible.’

Full Story

BBC News, 16th April 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Churchwarden jailed for murdering pensioner has conviction quashed – BBC News

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘A former churchwarden jailed for murdering a university lecturer has had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal.’

Full Story

BBC News, 16th April 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Teaching comparative law post-Brexit and post-SQE: challenges and choices for UK universities and teachers of comparative law – The Law Teacher

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘This article will reflect on the impact of Brexit and of the introduction of the SQE on comparative law teaching in UK universities. Drawing on a 2025 survey by the British Association of Comparative Law (BACL) on how comparative law is currently taught in UK universities, it will examine the place of comparative law in the law school curriculum. In so doing, it will identify changes since the last BACL teaching survey of 2002. Has Brexit, with EU law potentially demoted to an optional part of the law degree curriculum, discouraged interest in studying comparative law? What has been the impact of the introduction of the SQE on law school curricula? Having been given exclusive access to the findings of the 2025 BACL teaching survey, I will examine the challenges and choices universities and comparative law academics face. Is comparative law teaching an interesting but ornamental addition to a crammed curriculum or an important part of the UK university response to globalisation and the internationalisation of legal education?’

Full Story

The Law Teacher, 16th April 2026

Source: doi.org

Post Office and Windrush scandal victims waiting years for compensation as £12bn still unpaid – The Independent

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Victims of major UK scandals including Post Office Horizon IT, Windrush and infected blood are owed an estimated £15 billion in compensation, a new report reveals.’

Full Story

The Independent, 17th April 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘My son died alone, scared, and in pain’ – BBC News

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘The mother of a 14-month-old boy who died after being restrained and put face down to sleep at a nursery, says in her son’s final moments he was “alone, scared and in pain”.’

Full Story

BBC News, 16th April 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Should police be turning up at all? managing mental health crises in an English Constabulary under the Right Care, Right Person framework – Policing & Society

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘The Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) initiative was developed to ensure appropriate professionals respond to mental health crises, redirecting calls from police to specialised services. While early evaluations focused on operational success, this paper examines how incidents are managed within an English police force implementing RCRP. Using interviews with strategic and operational police staff, policy and strategy document analysis, and real-time observations, we explore the step-by-step processes officers follow, from initial contact to case resolution. This mapping serves as a conceptual framework to highlight the tensions police face in balancing their roles as law enforcers and caregivers. Findings reveal that while RCRP offers a structured approach, officers still intervene in some cases due to service gaps, risk concerns, and practical constraints, underscoring ongoing challenges in fully transitioning mental health response away from policing. Practical implications for improving support and ensuring crisis care from the right professionals are discussed.’

Full Story

Policing & Society, 15th April 2006

Source: doi.org

Privacy law and the dead – a reappraisal (part II) – The Journal of Media Law

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘In an earlier article, we argued that post-mortem privacy is not sufficiently protected in England and Wales. In this article, we draw from Boonin’s posthumous harm thesis and posthumous wrong thesis to develop a framework and rationale for justifying the recognition and enforcement of a privacy right post-mortem. Essentially, our theoretical framework suggests that, just as a living person can be harmed by an act that does not have any effect on their conscious experience, such as the frustration of their desires, the dead can also suffer unfelt harm. We test and illustrate the analytical and explanatory power of this theoretical framework with a USA post-mortem privacy case and five relevant practical examples. Furthermore, we examine some important cases in England and Wales, and some cases from the ECtHR, to show how the use of our framework could lead to the recognition and justification of a privacy right post-mortem.’

Full Story

The Journal of Media Law, 15th April 2026

Source: doi.org

Prepare for trade union rights to workplace access, employers advised – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Employers operating in Britain should not underestimate the cultural and operational shift that complying with new laws providing trade unions with rights of access to workplaces will entail when they take effect, expected in October, experts have said.’

Full Story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th April 2026

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

High Court broadens scope of legal advice privilege – Legal Futures

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘The High Court has widened legal advice privilege to all internal documents created by the client where the dominant purpose is to seek legal advice, even if they would not actually be sent to a lawyer.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 17th April 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Murderer who never shared where body is gets parole – BBC News

Posted April 17th, 2026 in news by sally

‘A man who murdered his wife and has never revealed where her body is can be released from prison, the Parole Board has decided.’

Full Story

BBC News, 16th April 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Expert evidence in children proceedings: principles for practice and better outcomes – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 16th, 2026 in news by Simon

‘Mani Singh Basi highlights key principles that should guide professionals in practice when it comes to expert evidence in children proceedings.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 16th April 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Martyn’s Law guidance published to help businesses – Home Office

Posted April 16th, 2026 in news by Simon

‘Major venues and events will be better equipped to protect the public from terrorism, as new guidance to support the implementation of Martyn’s Law is published today.’

Full Story

Home Office, 15th April 2026

Source: www.gov.uk