‘Under conditions of managerial adaptability, employers structure their commercial affairs in such a way that they are able to access a ready and available pool of workers when demand is high, while retaining the flexibility to offload excess labour when business pressures tail off.1 And the relevant legal arrangements are usually put into effect in a manner that both insulates the hirer of services from exposure to external liability and saves labour, tax, social security, pension and other commercial costs. They are formalized via a plethora of elaborate commercial contracts, sometimes involving legal entities that are inter-positioned between the individual service providers and the business itself. This might be seen as “having one’s cake and eating it”, but it is undoubtedly a distinctive marker of the contemporary labour market currently serving both product and services markets.’

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Industrial Law Journal, 9th January 2026

Source: academic.oup.com

‘A coroner has warned that more babies could die without greater clarity and guidance over the role of home birthing assistants, after the death of a baby girl raised concerns about a doula delaying access to hospital treatment.’

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The Guardian, 21st January 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘There is a disproportionately high prevalence of mental health problems among women in prison. While research has acknowledged the heightened vulnerabilities of this population, there remains a paucity of studies examining the provision and quality of mental health services across the women’s prison estate. This study employs Thematic Analysis of the most recent unannounced inspection reports from each women’s prison in England to explore the quality of mental health care and factors influencing its effective delivery. The analysis identified key themes highlighting the critical role of the prison regime, physical environment, and service provision in supporting women with mental health needs. Although examples of good practice were evident – including effective communication between clinical teams, staff skilled in identifying vulnerable individuals, and access to a range of psychological interventions – significant inconsistencies persist. Barriers such as long waiting times for therapy, chronic staff shortages, and high levels of mental illness contribute to the overwhelming demand placed on prison mental health services, resulting in unmet need. To address these challenges, increased investment in prison-based mental health services is essential. Moreover, greater funding for community-based mental health support is needed to alleviate systemic pressures and ensure continuity of care for women both during and after imprisonment.’

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Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 14th January 2026

Source: www.tandfonline.com

‘A primary school teacher has lost her £60,000 compensation fight with Go Ape after shattering her leg on a slide “aimed at children” as young as three.’

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The Independent, 22nd January 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘David Lammy’s plans to introduce judge-only criminal trials in England and Wales will save less than 2% of time in crown courts, the Institute for Government (IFG) has said.’

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The Guardian, 22nd January 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘A teenage girl was forced to work as a “house slave” for over 25 years, a court has heard.’

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The Independent, 21st January 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘The new judicial diversity strategy has prioritised increasing the number of Black judges and ensuring reasonable adjustments are provided for disabled judges as areas of “acute need requiring urgent attention”.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd January 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘The Court of Appeal has criticised Saini J’s high-profile judgment on the scope of jury equity in HM Solicitor General v Warner [2024] EWHC 918 (KB). The case is Webster v The King [2026] EWCA Crim 9.’

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Administrative Court Blog, 21st January 2026

Source: administrativecourtblog.wordpress.com

‘The Covid lockdown period provided unexpected opportunities to discover the advantages and disadvantages of holding court hearings ‘remotely’ online.’

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Transparency Project, 19th January 2026

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

‘At a recent group action case management hearing in White and others v Uber London Ltd and others [2025] EWHC 2972 (Comm), Mrs Justice O’Farrell helpfully explained the approach the courts will take when determining whether to order costs budgeting in group litigation. The case concerns 13,000 claims by London black cab drivers against the defendants, the Uber Group, for damages in respect of allegations of unlawful means conspiracy.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 20th January 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘On 2 December 2025, the Lord Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced significant reforms to criminal trials in England and Wales. Defending his proposals on the BBC Sunday programme on 4 January 2026, Lammy justified restricting jury trial on the basis of his strong sense of justice, explicitly pointing to the fact he had a photograph of Martin Luther King alongside Rabbi Heschel marching during the civil rights movement in his office. Lammy’s usage of one of the most historically significant examples of civil disobedience to explain his motivations for jury reform is troubling. The effect of the reforms will lead to jury trials for offences committed in the course of civil disobedience being replaced with summary proceedings before magistrates’ courts, or, if the offence is deemed sufficiently serious, before new ‘swift courts’ composed of a single judge. Since defences for peaceful protesters have been successively removed since 2021, jury acquittals, particularly through jury equity, frequently constitute the last option for protesters to avoid the increasingly harsh sentences legislated for by Parliament and imposed by courts. The removal of jury trial from those convicted of protest-related crimes is the final nail in the coffin for peaceful protesters, ensuring that those who dissent are predictably convicted.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 21st January 2026

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

‘The former nurse Lucy Letby will face no new charges on suspicion of murdering or harming babies, prosecutors have announced.’

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The Guardian, 20th January 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘A woman who was sexually abused as a child by groups of men has said she feels insulted after her compensation claims were denied.’

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BBC News, 21st January 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘The High Court has overturned the finding of misconduct made about the solicitor for former Conservative Chancellor Nadeem Zahawi.’

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Legal Futures, 21st January 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘A former prison officer has been jailed for having romantic relationships with two inmates and plotting to smuggle drug-soaked envelopes into prison.’

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BBC News, 20th January 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘A town council has been ordered to pay almost £3,000 compensation to a job applicant for ‘injury to his feelings’.’

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The Independent, 20th January 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘The white paper sets out the government’s plans to create an immigration system which promotes growth but is controlled and managed.’

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Home Office, 20th January 2026

Source: www.gov.uk

‘A faith leader who officiated a wedding ceremony for an underage couple has been sentenced in the first case of its kind under new legislation banning child marriage in England and Wales.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 19th January 2026

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

‘”Workable” solutions that enable transparency over the content and data used to train AI models and allow rightsholders to opt their works out from being used for that purpose, have yet to be found, UK ministers have admitted, despite the government previously indicating a preference for those measures to be built into a package of AI-related reforms to UK copyright law.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th January 2026

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com