‘Cotham School v Bristol County Council & Anor [2025] EWHC 1382 (Ch) is a blockbuster of a case, guaranteed to excite the passions of any English woman or man. It concerns the status of a piece of land registered as a village green, the use of which as playing fields by a school is contested.’

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2 Hare Court, 29th July 2025

Source: www.2harecourt.com

‘It is not every High Court appeal where one of the advocates accuses the other of racism for their skeleton argument – but when the Middle East is the issue under discussion nothing is surprising.’

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2 Hare Court, 29th July 2025

Source: www.2harecourt.com

‘A Labour councillor who called for far-right protesters’ throats to be cut at an anti-racism rally has been found not guilty of encouraging violent disorder.’

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BBC News, 15th August 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Two police officers have been sacked for gross misconduct over the way they dealt with a suspected drunk driver who was arrested and later died.’

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The Independent, 14th August 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘An enforcement order to demolish a block of flats is unlikely to affect the human rights of children as the building comprises only one-bedroom flats, the High Court has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th August 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘On 30 July 2025, Mr Justice Peel handed down a judgment in the case of BC v BC [2025] EWHC 2016 (Fam), confirming the “sanctity of confidentiality” in relation to Financial Dispute Resolution (‘FDR’) and private FDR (‘pFDR’) hearings.’

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Kingsley Napley Family Law Blog, 13th August 2025

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

‘The flipside of the intense focus on the wishes, feelings, beliefs and values of the person required by s.4 MCA 2005, as clarified by the Supreme Court in Aintree v James, is that there may be situations in which, objectively, a person’s medical situation might appear hopeless, but nonetheless continued treatment is in their best interests. Such a case is that of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v YD & Ors (Refusal of Withdrawal of Treatment) [2025] EWCOP 31.[1] On the face of it, YD, who had been in a prolonged disorder of consciousness since October 2024 and had no prospect of emerging from the permanent vegetative state in which he now found himself, was a clear candidate for withdrawal of clinically assisted nutrition and hydration.’

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Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 14th August 2025

Source: www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk

‘A 14-year-old girl left alone to self-harm at a mental health hospital when she should have been under constant supervision was unlawfully killed, an inquest jury has concluded.’

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BBC News, 14th August 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘A barrister has been disbarred for raping a woman, when she was a teenager under 16 and when she was older, while he was a policeman in the 1980s.’

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Legal Futures, 15th August 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘A recent decision provides insight into the approach of the Irish courts in comparing brands in passing off disputes, highlighting the subjective approach needed when questions of similarity and risk of confusion arise, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th August 2025

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

‘The Court of Protection has refused to let a hospital trust in north-west London withdraw life support from a 60-year-old man described as being in a permanent vegetative state after his two partners spoke about his strong belief in the power of spiritual healing.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 13th August 2025

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

‘The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) has said that plans in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to expand mayoral powers and duties “must go hand in hand” with stronger expectations on accountability.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th August 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘This is a judgment on application in two joined cases, Lancastle v Curo Group and Bailey & Bennet v Curo Places. In each, the defendant landlord had applied variously for the claims to be struck out (although this was not really pursued), or debarring the claimants from relying on the expert evidence they had already obtained, directing the appointment of a future single joint expert and requiring the claimants to amend their Particulars of Claim.’

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Nearly Legal, 12th August 2025

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

‘A 15-year-old boy sentenced for the manslaughter of an 80-year-old man he racially abused and fatally attacked will not have his sentence extended.’

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BBC News, 13th August 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘The issue in The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v YD & Ors [2025] EWCOP 31 (T3) was the potential withdrawal of treatment from a 60-year-old man, YD, in a “permanent vegetative state”.’

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Law & Religion UK, 14th August 2025

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

‘Police have been encouraged to consider disclosing the ethnicity and nationality of suspects charged in high-profile cases, after facing mounting pressure over the details they make public.’

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BBC News, 13th August 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

This article examines how abusive fathers may exploit family court systems post-separation to maintain coercive control over former partners and children. Drawing on evidence from common law jurisdictions including the UK, Ireland, Australia and the United States it shows how repeated litigation, economic abuse and false parental alienation claims are used to continue dominance under the guise of parental involvement. Despite increased recognition of domestic abuse, family courts often prioritise shared parenting and contact, misinterpreting protective actions by mothers as ‘implacable hostility’. These assumptions can obscure patterns of post-separation abuse and place survivors and children at further risk. The article proposes the integration of the Duluth Post-Separation Power and Control Wheel as a tool to help recognise coercive legal strategies, frequently minimised as routine conflict. It argues for a shift towards contextual, pattern-based risk assessments in private family law, backed by statutory training and legal reform. By equipping practitioners to recognise how legal and institutional processes may be weaponised, family courts can better distinguish coercive control from mutual conflict and respond accordingly. This approach aligns with the principles of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, promoting safer outcomes and ensuring that child welfare and survivor protection are prioritised in post-separation proceedings.

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Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 11th August 2025

Source: www.tandfonline.com

‘The Upper Tribunal has refused permission for a boy’s parents to appeal that the First-tier Tribunal had failed sufficiently to safeguard their son’s rights to prevent him being ‘off-rolled’ from his current school without their consent.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th August 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘Epping Forest District Council has applied for an interim High Court injunction in a bid to stop asylum seekers being housed at the Bell Hotel in the town.’

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The Independent, 13th August 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk