Returning after a mid-autumn break, our latest roundup includes a king’s speech, a ministers’ reshuffle, a lost case, a sadly-missed Judge, and a lively debate about family law. Plus recent case law and commentary. — Politics Ministerial reshuffle In a long expected, possibly too long delayed move, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak MP, sacked the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman KC MP, appointing in her place James Cleverly MP, and appointing in his place as Foreign Secretary the former Prime Minister David Cameron, making him a Lord in the…

This week’s roundup of legal news includes prisons and sentencing, the legal profession and the senior judiciary. Plus recent case law and commentary. — Crime Prisons dilemma The prison population is now double what it was 30 years ago, and it costs around £47,000 a year to keep each prisoner locked up. From time to time, the minister in charge of prisons (currently the Secretary of State for Justice, aka Lord Chancellor, but previously it was the…

We welcome you back at the start of another legal year with a rapid roundup of legal news and commentary over the long vacation. — Lady Chief Justice Dame Sue Carr sworn in Lord Burnett of Maldon has now retired as Lord Chief Justice and been succeeded by Dame Sue Carr, who is being sworn in as Lady Chief Justice today, 2 October 2023. …

As the Trinity Term ends we round up the latest stories from the world of law before embarking on the Long (and probably far too hot) Vacation and usher in the Silly Season. Insulting politicians, warring bankers, social housing, compulsory mediation and more. — Legal profession ‘Subset’ clause The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP provoked a furious reaction from lawyers’ representative bodies after X-ing their collective professional reputation with a tweet accusing “The Labour Party, a subset of lawyers, criminal gangs — they’re all on the same side, propping up a system of exploitation that profits from getting…

This week’s roundup of legal news includes legislation on human rights, crime, immigration and online safety; the courts and the judiciary; and the latest case law and commentary. — Legislation Bills, bills, bills… The government under the prime ministership of Rishi Sunak has refocused its legislative objectives in some regards, while maintaining much of the existing wish list of ambitious reform. …

This week’s roundup of legal news includes a roundup of current inquiries and their problems; the international promotion of the rule of law; plus recent case law and commentary. — Public Inquiries Recently we included an item here about retired judges, what they do, and how it ought to be regulated. But of course one of the main things senior retired judges (as well as serving judges) can do is chair public inquiries. A number of them are doing just that. …

This latest roundup of legal news includes court reform, family law and media regulation (or the lack thereof); plus recent case law and commentary. — Courts HMCTS Reform Seven years into its proudly boasted £1.3bn court modernisation programme, HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is once again falling behind on delivering critical reforms to its services. …

This week’s roundup of legal news includes digital assets, legal technology, immigration, judicial afterlives, and entertainment. Plus recent case law and commentary. — Law reform Digital assets The Law Commission has recommended the creation in English law of a distinct category of personal property to better recognise and protect the unique features of digital assets such as crypto-currencies, non fungible tokens (NFTs) and tokenised securities.

This week’s roundup of legal news includes political resignations and the fallout from a falling out, a bad report, a new set of rules, and some recent case law and commentary. — Politics Autodefenestration The former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson announced his resignation as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, after becoming aware of the contents of the report of the investigation by the parliamentary Privileges Committee into allegations that he knowingly or recklessly misled the House of Commons over breaches of his…