‘Cult’ priest guilty of rape and assault of women – BBC News
‘A former priest who established a “cult” within the Church of England has been found guilty of raping a woman in his congregation.’
BBC News, 2nd October 2026
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: news
Man jailed for piloting small boat carrying 26 others – BBC News
‘A man has been jailed for 18 months for piloting a small boat carrying 26 other people, including six children, towards the Kent coast.’
BBC News, 2nd October 2026
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
On the interlocking requirements of suitability – Nearly Legal
‘R (Griffiths-Fowell) v Birmingham City Council [2026] EWCA Civ 920 This Court of Appeal decision deals with the circumstances in which the main housing duty can be ended, and whether accommodation offered must be suitable for the main housing duty to be discharged by s.193(6)(d) HA 1996 (i.e. because the person has voluntarily ceased to occupy as his only or principal home accommodation which has been made available to him).’
Nearly Legal, 4th October 2026
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
Justice reforms to be rolled out faster as Justice Secretary sets out changes to Courts Bill – Ministry of Justice
‘Plans for some criminal trials to be heard by judge alone will be scrapped, meaning more serious cases will continue to be heard in front of a jury, keeping juries the cornerstone of British justice. This will mean the Justice Secretary can be fully focussed on fast-tracking the broader changes needed to drive down the record number of cases waiting years to be heard – fixing a crisis that is leaving too many victims in limbo before they see their perpetrator in the dock.’
Ministry of Justice, 4th October 2026
Source: www.gov.uk
Birss eyes page limit for litigants in person to state their case – Legal Futures
‘A strict page limit on outlining the case would help judges struggling to cope with litigants in person (LiPs) using AI to draft their claims, the incoming Master of the Rolls has suggested.’
Legal Futures, 2nd October 2026
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Naomi Campbell wins legal challenge over charity trustee ban – The Guardian
‘Naomi Campbell has won a legal challenge to overturn a five-year ban on being a charity trustee after judges found she was unaware of serious misconduct at the charity she set up and helped oversee for several years.’
The Guardian, 1st October 2026
Source: www.theguardian.com
Ecclesiastical court and other determinations – September 2026 – Law & Religion UK
‘Review of the ecclesiastical court and other determinations judgments during September 2026.’
Law & Religion UK, 1st October 2026
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
Coroner warns of risk of future deaths at mental health unit where patient was killed – BBC News
‘A mental health trust in east London, where a man was killed by a fellow patient, has been warned further deaths may occur unless staff issues are addressed.’
BBC News, 2nd October 2026
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Man guilty of one punch killing of younger brother during drunken ‘playfight’ at social club – The Independent
‘A man has been found guilty of killing his brother with a single punch while “playfighting” in a social club.’
The Independent, 1st October 2026
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Back with a Bano – Nearly Legal
‘Bano has its origins in the acceptance of a housing duty on 23 February 2017, concluding just over 9 years later in the supreme court. Central to the case is the question is whether the effect of refusal to accept accommodation is to automatically bring the homelessness duty to an end, or whether notification of the termination of the duty is required.’
Nearly Legal, 1st October 2026
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
Extradition retrials: what practitioners need to know – Law Society’s Gazette
‘For extradition practitioners, 29 September 2026 was a date worth putting in the diary.’
Law Society's Gazette, 30th September 2026
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Modernisation of High Court structure comes into effect today – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
‘Bringing together specialist courts from across the High Court, the BPD creates a modern structure for business and property litigation, improving clarity and access to justice. These specialist courts deal with high-value, complex and often international disputes, and play a pivotal role in supporting the UK’s legal services sector and wider economy.’
Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 1st October 2026
Source: www.judiciary.uk
Is the Child Focused Court model allowing time to really focus on children’s welfare? – The Transparency Project
‘This was a case about contact between four children and their non-resident parent, following findings of domestic abuse, and how the courts should be approaching that in the context of the new Child Focused Courts (previously Pathfinder, now generally referred to as CFC) model. Rights of Women and Cafcass were joined as “interveners” because they wanted to make some submissions that would assist the court.’
The Transparency Project, 30th September 2026
Source: transparencyproject.org.uk
LeO: Unhappy clients turning to AI – but that might not be so bad – Legal Futures
‘AI is acting as “an informal form of pre-complaint ‘triage’” that is more likely to influence consumers not to complain than to complain, according to Legal Ombudsman (LeO) research.’
Legal Futures, 1st October 2026
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Ex-NCA officer ordered to repay more than £1.8m following Bitcoin theft – Crown Prosecution Service
‘A former National Crime Agency (NCA) officer has been ordered to repay more than £1.8million after stealing valuable cryptocurrency that had been seized as part of an investigation into online crime on the dark web.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 30th September 2026
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
Limitation in pension transfer claims – Pensions Barrister
‘Paul Newman KC considers a recent High Court decision on when time begins to run for pension transfer claims under section 27 FSMA.’
Pensions Barrister, 1st October 2026
Source: www.pensionsbarrister.com
First UK ID verification convictions signal step-change in Companies House enforcement role – OUT-LAW.com
‘The first court action for identity verification offences points to the expanding role of the UK corporate register and the need for firms to file accurately, an expert has said.’
OUT-LAW.com, 30th September 2026
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
Court of Appeal partly allows first child-focused court appeal – Law Society Gazette
‘The first appeal to reach the Court of Appeal of a decision made under the new Child-Focused Court model over access arrangements has been partly allowed. However the president of the Family Division stressed that the introduction of the CFC model “has not altered the substantive legal framework”.’
Law Society Gazette, 30th September 2026
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
The Consequences of Late Service of an N260 for Summary Assessment of Costs: Prejudice and Proportionality – Financial Remedies Journal
‘The requirement to serve a statement of costs (Form N260) for the purposes of summary assessment of costs is set out in CPR PD 44 para 9.5. But what are the consequences of a breach of the rule to serve the statement of costs not less than 24 hours before the start of the hearing?’
Financial Remedies Journal, 28th September 2026
Source: financialremediesjournal.com
EC v EC [2026] EWFC 275 – Financial Remedies Journal
‘Preliminary issue hearing concerning the validity of a pre-nuptial agreement. Peel J emphasised that considering a nuptial agreement at a preliminary hearing is an available option but will be the exception rather than the rule.’
Financial Remedies Journal, 29th September 2026
Source: financialremediesjournal.com
