Category: news

‘The Court of Appeal (Newey, Edis and Whipple LJJs) has allowed the appeal in R (on the application of O’Brien) v HM Assistant Coroner for Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens [2026] EWCA Civ 499. It quashed the coroner’s decision on scope, and remitted the matter to a different coroner for reconsideration of scope, jury, and Article 2 issues. The key takeaway is that coroners must not pre‑determine causation on the basis of incomplete material. Where there is a realistic evidential pathway to a causal finding, the scope of the inquest must accommodate it.’

Full Story

Quarterly Medical Law Review, 14th May 2026

Source: 1corqmlr.com

‘Generative AI can offer a host of benefits to members of the public when interacting with public bodies, particularly to individuals who may previously have faced difficulties in composing formal correspondence, such as a complaint or request for information. However, the increasing use of generative AI is placing strain on public bodies, who are under legal duties to properly consider, verify and meaningfully respond to complaints and requests. The challenge for public bodies is in maintaining fairness, consistency and transparency when handling increasing volumes of AI-generated submissions.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 13th May 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘The King’s Speech yesterday was notable as much for what was not in it as what was included.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 14th May 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘New figures published by Cafcass show a significant increase in demand across the family justice system, with private law children cases rising sharply during the 2025–26 financial year and reaching their highest monthly level in five years.’

Full Story

Family Law, 11th May 2026

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

‘The Government has published its long-awaited post-legislative scrutiny memorandum on the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, setting out its assessment of the landmark legislation five years after it received Royal Assent.’

Full Story

Family Law, 11th May 2026

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

‘Today, however, I do not want to deliver a general lecture on the constitutional foundations of open justice. I want to talk about something more specific and more practical: access to documents – because in modern civil justice, if open justice does not follow the documents, it risks becoming an illusion rather than a reality.’

Full Story

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 13th May 2026

Source: www.judiciary.uk

‘The Bar Council is calling on the UK Government to ratify the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer (the Luxembourg Treaty) on the anniversary of its launch.’

Full Story

Bar Council, 13th May 2026

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

‘The UK asylum system has changed a lot in recent years. New rules and policies have affected how asylum claims are made, how they are decided, and what people seeking protection may face during the process.

‘For asylum seekers, advisers and those working in immigration law, it is important to understand what these changes may mean in practice.’

Full Story

EIN Blog, 13th May 2026

Source: www.ein.org.uk

‘A high-profile victim of the Post Office scandal has won a preliminary argument about his own civil claim in the Court of Appeal. Former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton challenged the court’s decision from earlier this year that his claim against the Post Office should be broken into split trials.’

Full Story

Law Society Gazette, 14th May 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘The government of embattled prime minister Sir Keir Starmer today signalled its intention to proceed with reforms to the criminal justice system. As widely expected, the King’s speech also included a promise of legislation to reform leasehold, including the capping of ground rents.’

Full Story

Law Society Gazette, 13th May 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘The announcement by the Women Against State Pension Inequality group follows a decision in January, when women affected by the way changes to the state pension age were communicated were told for a second time they would not receive compensation.’

Full Story

The Independent, 13th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘An earlier post Non-involvement with CDM proceedings (I) considered the impact of the removal from office of the Rev Karen Padley as Priest in Charge of St Lawrence Heanor, St Andrew Langley Mill, and St John Aldercar, and Vicar of All Saints Marlpool, by an Independent Tribunal established under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003, and her prohibition from ministering as a priest in the Church of England for three years. In this post we review the associated Decision (7 January 2026) and Penalty (31 March 2026) of the Tribunal, reported on the Church of England web site (March 2026).

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 13th May 2026

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

‘On 4 May 2026, The Marlpudlian – “The website for All Saints Church and the wider community” – posted “A Big Change at All Saints” in which it informed parishioners that “As of Tuesday 31st March 2026, the Revd Karen Padley is  no longer the vicar of All Saints church, nor is she priest-in-charge of the churches of St Lawrence Heanor, St Andrew’s Langley Mill and St John’s Aldercar.”’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 11th May 2026

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

‘A barrister who knowingly allowed a judge and opposing party in a family law case to be misled during a hearing has been disbarred for “professional dishonesty”.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 13th May 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Last summer, the Government introduced a surprise proposal to ban upwards-only rent reviews (“UORRs”) in commercial leases, hidden within the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 13th May 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘A woman sought by authorities for over two decades has been apprehended during a six-month live facial recognition trial in south London.’

Full Story

The Independent, 13th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Palestine Action activists who caused £1m of criminal damage to an Israel-linked defence firm could be sentenced as terrorists, it can now be revealed.’

Full Story

The Independent, 12th May 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘A leading barrister has won a reprieve from facing an unprecedented contempt of court case over his alleged conduct during a trial of six Palestine Action activists.’

Full Story

BBC News, 12th May 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘The recent English case of Smith v Campbell [2025] EWHC 3011 (Ch) considered once again the approach to trustee removal applications in England which was solidified by the decision of Chief Master Marsh in Schumacher v Clarke [2019] EWHC 1031 (Ch).’

Full Story

Wilberforce Chambers, 8th May 2026

Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk

‘Nicola Muir analyses the Upper Tribunal’s decision in Deritend Investments (Birkdale) Ltd v Fung Tai Engineering Co Ltd and its implications for lease extension valuation practice, including the averaging and weighting of comparable evidence, relativity, and valuation methodology under the 1993 Act.’

Full Story

Tanfield Chambers, 12th May 2026

Source: tanfieldchambers.co.uk