Category: news

‘The decision of Master Bowles (sitting in retirement) (“the Judge”) in Teixeira v Moaven and ors [2026] EWHC 1215 (Ch) (“Teixeira”), handed down on 22 May 2026, is noteworthy for several reasons. It provides an example of the uncommon “sham trusts” doctrine in (successful) operation; it discusses (at [58]-[63]) the circumstances in which the personal representatives of an estate may be entitled (indeed obliged) to take an active stance in hostile litigation where the assets of the estate are at stake; it is Master Bowles’ – who has been sitting in retirement since 2018 – final written judgment.’

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Guildhall Chambers, 12th June 2026

Source: www.guildhallchambers.co.uk

‘The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into legal practice is no longer a futuristic concept; it is an everyday reality. For solicitors specializing in professional negligence, this technological shift represents a fertile new battleground. The recent High Court decision in Re an Office-Holder; Cork v Smith EWHC 1199 (Ch) provides a stark warning about the perils of AI misuse, the breakdown of supervision, and the inevitable rise of a new breed of professional negligence claims.’

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Gatehouse Chambers, 8th June 2026

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

‘A disabled applicant for homelessness assistance has won an important appeal in a ‘reasonable adjustments’ discrimination case against the London Borough of Lambeth.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 17th June 2026

Source: gardencourtchambers.co.uk

‘Jacqui Thomas KC and Chloe Lee examine the repercussions for practitioners – including in relation to cases involving children – of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on deprivation of liberty and valid consent.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th June 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘The cross-party House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has raised a series of questions for the Government after considering the draft Equality Act 2010 Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th June 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘The government is pressing ahead with reforms to the home-buying process, which it says will cut transaction times by around four weeks and save first-time buyers an average of £650.’

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Legal Futures, 19th June 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘A law firm based in Hertfordshire has been severely criticised by a High Court judge for the “heinous” errors it made and the “simple incompetence” it showed in pursuing a probate dispute.’

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Legal Futures, 19th June 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘A teenager who encouraged a young victim to self-harm and produce sexually-explicit images of herself as part of a sustained campaign of online abuse has been jailed today at Sheffield Crown Court.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 18th June 2026

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

‘A man who earned around £185,000 smuggling people from the UK to France in the back of lorries has today been jailed more than five years at Canterbury Crown Court.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 18th June 2026

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

‘The husband sought a declaration of marital status under s 55 of the Family Law Act 1986, asserting that the parties’ customary marriage under Cameroonian law had been dissolved by a customary divorce. The court found that no customary divorce had taken place and that the marriage was in any event void under English law.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 17th June 2026

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

‘Unsuccessful application for an LSPO where the applicant husband’s financial remedy claim appeared weak, his disclosure was inadequate, and he remained subject to substantial outstanding liability under a POCA confiscation order.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 17th June 2026

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

‘Can reflective practice – a staple in other professions – meaningfully support the Bar? Emma Cross reports back from last year’s pilot’

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Counsel, 15th June 2026

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

‘Does your constitution comply? The Harman Report provides impetus to update yours – and the sooner the better. Scott Leonard explains how’

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Counsel, 15th June 2026

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

‘A man described as a “parasite” by his siblings has been ordered to vacate his family home and pay a substantial £265,000 bill after a court rejected his attempt to claim his parents’ entire inheritance.’

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The Independent, 19th June 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘The High Court recently permitted a local authority not to notify the mother’s family or the unknown biological father of the child’s birth and intended adoption, in light of exceptional social, cultural, and psychological risks. Judith Pepper explains why.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th June 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘The Court of Appeal has taken the rare step of quashing a child rape conviction because of the defence barrister’s failure to explore key evidence during the trial.’

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Legal Futures, 18th June 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Groundbreaking research has provided “the first hard evidence” that legal advice for low-income households improves lives – increasing incomes and improving mental health.’

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Legal Futures, 18th June 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘The law of homicide faces the most significant overhaul in generations, as the Law Commission today publishes a consultation paper proposing to replace the existing two-tier structure of homicide offences (murder and manslaughter) with a three-tier structure (first-degree murder, second-degree murder and manslaughter). The proposed reform constitutes the first strand of the homicide review, with two further strands of work, respectively on defences and the sentencing framework for murder, to follow.’

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Law Commission, 17th June 2026

Source: lawcom.gov.uk

‘The Law Commission today launches consultations on wide-ranging reforms of the law relating to commercial leases to benefit tenants and landlords in England and Wales.’

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Law Commission, 16th June 2026

Source: lawcom.gov.uk

‘The 2011 Family Justice Review issued a particularly sharp critique of the state of data in the family justice system. Having set out, according to its terms of reference, to assess how the system was operating, it found that a lack of data frequently stood in the way of insightful analysis.’

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Family Law, 17th June 2026

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk