Teen on murder charge set for trial 100 miles away – BBC News
‘A teenage boy charged with murder could go on trial about 100 miles from the town where the crime was allegedly committed.’
BBC News, 15th December 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Court of Protection considers correct legal test for assessing whether woman has capacity to make own decision as to whether or not to marry – Local Government Lawyer
‘A Court of Protection judge has considered the correct legal test for assessing whether an elderly woman with dementia has the capacity to make her own decision as to whether or not to marry, finding that the court should asses her capacity to marry in general, rather than her capacity to marry a particular person.’
Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Family Court approves care plan entailing move to Jamaica amid concerns over immigration application risks – Local Government Lawyer
‘A Family Court judge has approved a care plan for a young looked-after British child to move to Jamaica to live with her maternal half-brother, who is in the care of his paternal aunt.’
Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
High Court rules temporary chief constable appointment by police and crime commissioner was unlawful – Local Government Lawyer
‘A decision by a Police and Crime Commissioner to appoint a chief constable on a temporary basis was “unlawful”, the High Court has found.’
Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Making work pay: why it’s important to monitor earnings by sex at the self-employed Bar – Bar Council
‘The General Council of the Bar (GCB) has monitored barrister earnings since 2015, with the latest publication “Gross earnings by sex and practice area at the self-employed Bar 2025” being published in November. In this blog, Dr Rose Holmes, Bar Council Head of Research, and Rachel Krys, Bar Council Equality and Diversity Consultant, explain why it’s important to collect and analyse this data and how our work has evolved over the last decade.’
Bar Council, 11th December 2025
Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
Half of people arrested in London could have undiagnosed ADHD, study finds – The Independent
‘Neurodivergent individuals – particularly autistic people and those with ADHD – are overrepresented within prison populations, according to research.’
The Independent, 12th December 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Met police face independent inquiry over fears 300 recruits not properly vetted – The Guardian
‘The home secretary is to order an independent special inquiry into whether the Metropolitan police allowed hundreds of recruits to join without proper vetting amid fears they may pose a criminal risk.’
The Guardian, 12th December 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
Nationwide fined £44m by watchdog for financial crime control failings – The Guardian
‘Nationwide has been fined £44m by the City watchdog over “weak” financial crime controls that culminated in a serious case of Covid fraud that left UK taxpayers £800,000 out of pocket.’
The Guardian, 12th December 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
Leaving findings of fact to inquest juries in Article 2 cases – Quarterly Medical Law Review
‘In this case, the High Court considered the appropriate legal test for leaving findings of fact to juries in Article 2 inquests. Is it that such findings are arguable? Or is it that there is sufficient evidence to support them? The answer, quite firmly, is the latter.’
Quarterly Medical Law Review, 11th December 2025
Source: 1corqmlr.com
High Court rejects latest judicial review challenge over Environment Agency decisions on landfill site – Local Government Lawyer
‘A child whose health was damaged by exposure to emissions from a landfill site has lost the third round of litigation in the case, with the High Court rejecting arguments for judicial review.’
Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
City council defeats appeal by landlord over refusal of permission to apply for judicial review in business rates case – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Court of Appeal has dismissed as “wholly unarguable” a landlord’s case that its tenant was liable to pay business rates on an “unoccupied hereditament”.’
Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Chair’s blog: towards a more diverse legal profession – Legal Services Board
‘At the heart of this consultation is a simple but powerful principle: the legal profession should better reflect the society it serves. Greater diversity brings many advantages, not just for fairness, but also for improving the quality, reach, and relevance of legal services. It is also imperative for the sector’s continued economic growth that it has access to the widest range of talent.’
Legal Services Board, 9th December 2025
Source: legalservicesboard.org.uk
Don’t forget human support in the rush to digital, lawyers told – Legal Futures
‘Both the structure and delivery of legal services – such as a lack of guidance and reactive communication – can cause difficulties for consumers, new research has found.’
Legal Futures, 11th December 2025
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Government hints at more controls on RTA damages and costs – Legal Futures
‘The government’s motor insurance taskforce reported yesterday with a hint that it may extend the whiplash tariff to other injuries and also review the small claims limit.’
Legal Futures, 11th December 2025
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Groundbreaking Crown Prosecution Service panel calls on experts to help tackle hidden and evolving ‘honour’-based crimes – Crown Prosecution Service
‘Experts have joined prosecutors to advise on how to spot hidden signs of “honour”-based abuse as part of a drive to improve how these complex and often-hidden crimes are prosecuted.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 10th December 2025
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
Moving to digital must not exclude those without digital confidence or access – Bar Standards Board
‘Digital exclusion can cause significant barriers to accessing legal services, finds research commissioned by the Bar Standards Board (BSB), CILEx Regulation Ltd (CRL), the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), and the Institute for Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).’
Bar Standards Board, 9th December 2025
Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk
Many would leave family legal aid ‘in a heartbeat’ – new Bar Council report – Bar Council
‘A new report into family legal aid has laid bare the detrimental impact the work is having on barristers as well as how underfunding affects the justice outcomes for their clients.’
Bar Council, 11th December 2025
Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
Should Decisions of the Attorney General be Judicially Reviewable? – UK Constitutional Law Association
‘In July 2025, the Divisional Court in R (Campbell) v Attorney General [2025] EWHC 1653 (Admin), held that “there is a category of functions of the Attorney General which are immune from review on any ground”. In November, the Supreme Court granted Mr Campbell direct leave to appeal.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 10th December 2025
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
The Implications of the Court of Appeal’s Judgment on ‘Family Life’ for the Government’s Immigration Proposals – UK Constitutional Law Association
‘On 27 November 2025 the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in IA v SHHD [2025] EWCA Civ 1516 clarifying the correct test to be used when determining whether there is ‘family life’ in immigration cases. The Court of Appeal followed the consistent line of case law from the European Court of Human Rights in stating that in cases not concerning the core family, family life will only be established where there are additional elements of dependence, involving more than the normal emotional ties. This is well-established doctrine. The judgment is, however, significant as the earlier tribunal decisions in IA have played a critical role in influencing policy making in respect of immigration and human rights law.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 10th December 2025
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
The Thorny Issue of Pension Liberation – Pensions Barrister
‘Allison Wu of Wilberforce Chambers looks at Brambles Administration Ltd v Harvey, an appeal from a Pensions Ombudsman determination involving pension liberation which considers the time limits for bringing complaints, the test for dishonesty and contributory negligence.‘
Pensions Barrister, 11th December 2025
Source: www.pensionsbarrister.com
