Record number of claims lodged at the county court – Legal Futures

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by Lily

‘The number of claims lodged at the county court in the second quarter of this year was the highest since the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) started publishing quarterly statistics in 2009.’

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Legal Futures, 4th September 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyer struck off for using fake AI-generated cases before SDT – Legal Futures

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by Lily

‘A registered foreign lawyer who used misleading AI-generated quotes and citations in defending a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) case against him has been struck off.’

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Legal Futures, 4th September 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Fraud in a Digital Age: Why Jonathan Fisher KC’s latest report presses for urgent government attention – Red Lion Chambers

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by Lily

‘In this edition of FOCUS, Valerie Charbit and Jack Talbot analyse Part 2 of Jonathan Fisher KC’s Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences: Fraud in the Digital Age. 2025 saw annual losses caused by fraud total £2.3 billion, accounting for almost half of all recorded crime. 80% of those offences were due to digital or internet-facilitated fraud. This important report tackles failures in the system, a lack of joined up policy and enforcement, and makes strong recommendations to government to tackle the endemic robustly, together with practical suggestions to increase the effective restraint of assets and encourage early pleas. As Jonathan says, the government must “take the fight to fraud” by effecting “structural reform, not minor adjustment… to restore credible deterrence, protect victims and safeguard the integrity of the UK economy.”’

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Red Lion Chambers, 17th August 2026

Source: redlionchambers.substack.com

The Family Law Podcast – Putting Children First – Pump Court Chambers

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by Lily

‘In the latest episode of the Pump Court Chambers Family Law Podcast, Rebekah Batt is joined by Edward Cooke, Charlotte Millard and Victoria Ellis to discuss “Putting Children First” following the publication of the Family Solutions Group Report of the same title in March of this year and linked here. The discussion includes a summary of the report and the recommendations therein, how good the court system currently is at hearing the ‘voice of the child’, what we can do to improve and how professionals might reduce conflict in Children Act cases.’

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Pump Court Chambers, 20th August 2026

Source: shows.acast.com

Complexities, Complications and Causation – Parklane Plowden

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by Lily

‘R (Olabode) v HM Area Coroner for Manchester City & Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust: Reviewing a Coroner’s consideration of complex medical evidence.’

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Parklane Plowden, 3rd September 2026

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Using AI as a Lawyer? Beware — They Will Find Out – Old Square Chambers

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by Lily

‘Kiril Waite has written an article titled ‘Using AI as a Lawyer? Beware — They Will Find Out’. In this article, Kiril discusses Article 50 of the EU AI Act, the Bar Council’s position on AI, and the UK Law stance on AI regulations.’

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Old Square Chambers, 1st September 2026

Source: oldsquare.co.uk

Beyond the Not Guilty Plea: Behavioural Change, Parallel Criminal Proceedings and the Assessment of Risk in FH v MH (PD12J: Parallel Criminal Proceedings) [2026] EWFC 195 (B) – No. 5 Barristers Chambers

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by Lily

‘Reported judgments at District Judge level rarely attract sustained attention outside the practitioners directly involved in the proceedings. They are, of course, not binding authority and are often regarded as turning upon their own facts. Occasionally, however, a first instance decision provides something equally valuable: a principled analytical framework capable of assisting judges and practitioners faced with recurring problems for which there is little direct guidance. In my view, FH v MH (PD12J: Parallel Criminal Proceedings) [2026] EWFC 195 (B) is such a case.’

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No. 5 Barristers Chambers, 3rd August 2026

Source: www.no5.com

Respect Accredited Programmes: When Safeguarding and Delay Pull in Different Directions – No. 5 Barristers Chambers

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by Lily

‘For a parent involved in private children proceedings, a Cafcass section 7 report can appear decisive. Where it recommends no direct contact, the parent may understandably feel that the case has already been determined. H v R (Respect Programme or Equivalent Programme) [2026] EWFC 235 (B) is an important reminder that it has not. A section 7 recommendation is important professional evidence, but it remains evidence: the welfare decision belongs to the court, that responsibility cannot be abdicated. The case is particularly useful for practitioners dealing with findings of domestic abuse, recommendations for Respect-accredited perpetrator work and the difficult question of what should happen to a child’s relationship with a parent while such work is awaited.’

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No. 5 Barristers Chambers, 24th August 2026

Source: www.no5.com

Men jailed over £70m tree-planting investment scam – BBC News

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Three men have been jailed over a multi-million pound tree-planting scam that cost nearly 3,000 investors their savings or pensions.’

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BBC News, 3rd September 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Robert Craig: Uncomfortable, But Not Unconstitutional – The Transition to a New Prime Minister – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Despite Keir Starmer’s landslide majority just two years ago, the former Prime Minister announced his resignation from the premiership on 20 July. The departure of yet another prime minister, in short order, follows a series of political misjudgements that saw his support in both parliament and country drain away.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 3rd September 2026

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Two men convicted of £137k watch theft – BBC News

Posted September 4th, 2026 in news by sally

‘Two men have been found guilty of robbing a fashion designer of his £137,000 Richard Mille watch, which was cut from his wrist as he left a Mayfair restaurant.’

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BBC News, 3rd September 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Domestic abuse findings and a criminal trial – Transparency Project

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘Can a father against whom findings of domestic abuse have been made by a family court plead ‘Not Guilty’ to those offences in the criminal court? Yes, if he denies the charges and rejects the family court findings. The standard of proof in the criminal court is higher, so in theory, that might not be reached. However, where there have been admissions or findings of domestic abuse, the family court is obliged to consider the extent to which the perpetrator has accepted their responsibility for what they did, and their motivation to change their behaviour to ensure that future contact is safe, under Family Procedure Rules PD 12J. It would be illogical to not go on to accept responsibility in the Crown Court, where the family court findings could be presented.’

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The Transparency Project, 30th August 2026

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

When does a dependency claim under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 end? – 1 QMLR

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘In Roberts v Ford Motor Company Ltd, HHJ Tindal (sitting as a High Court Judge) grappled with a question not previously addressed head-on by the authorities: does a dependant’s admission to a care home, following the tortious death of the family member who had cared for her, end her services dependency claim for care under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 (“FAA“)? The court considered that it did not. The decision offers valuable clarification of the approach to the curtailment of a services dependency claim articulated by Davies LJ in Steve Hill Ltd v Witham [2022] PIQR P2 (CA). It will be of considerable interest to practitioners handling FAA claims where the deceased was a family carer.’

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1 QMLR, 1st September 2026

Source: 1corqmlr.com

A new era of transparency: The contractual control regime goes live(ish) – Mills & Reeve

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘On 8 June 2026 the Government made The Provision of Information (Contractual Control) (Registered Land) Regulations 2026, to create a new, public register of “contractual control rights” in relation to registered land in England and Wales. […] In this article, we explain how to identify “contractual control rights” and the rules for their registration, and we also explore the implications of the contractual control regime for developers and promoters.’

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Mills & Reeve, 1st September 2026

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

PM accelerates roll out of police rape and sexual offence teams – Home Office

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘All police forces in England and Wales will have specialist rape and sexual offence teams in place by December 2027, a year and a half ahead of the original deadline. The specialist teams are dedicated to investigating rape and sexual offences, supporting victims and bringing sex offenders to justice.’

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Home Office, 1st September 2026

Source: www.gov.uk

What AI Chatbots Can Teach Us About Unmet Legal Needs – JUSTICE

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘Despite growing public discussion about its potential role in the justice system, we still know remarkably little about how ordinary people are already using generally available tools like ChatGPT when they encounter legal problems. In turn, we are overlooking what those interactions can tell us about our justice system itself. To understand this shift, researchers at JUSTICE and the Administrative Fairness Lab came together to conduct the first large-scale study of public use of AI chatbots for legal help. Rather than asking people hypothetical questions about how or whether they might use AI, we asked about their actual experiences and, crucially, invited them to share the conversations they had already had with general-purpose chatbots. This blog shares some insights and example chats from this dataset.’

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JUSTICE, 1st September 2026

Source: www.justice.org.uk

Challenge over lack of education for child in GCSE year fails in High Court – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘The High Court has dismissed a judicial review claim contending that the London Borough of Southwark failed in its statutory duty to provide education for a child in her GCSE year.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd September 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Claimant based in Donbas and under sanctions loses appeal over council tax liability – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘A man whose finances had been frozen by the Government because of his activities in Russian-occupied Ukraine cannot as a result be exempt from paying council tax, the High Court has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd September 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Falcons: turning and turning in the widening gyre – nuisance and sensitivity – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘This unusual neighbour dispute may clarify in time the law of nuisance upon which the Court of Appeal was divided. The CA took the unusual step of granting permission to appeal to the Supreme Court on a 2-1 decision.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 1st September 2026

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

New rules on non-financial misconduct now in force – Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog

Posted September 3rd, 2026 in news by Lily

‘The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) has issued new rules and guidance on non-financial misconduct (“NFM”). These changes, which came into effect on 1 September 2026, are likely to have a significant impact on the whole sector.’

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Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog, 1st September 2026

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk