Category: news

‘Reported judgments at District Judge level rarely attract sustained attention outside the practitioners directly involved in the proceedings. They are, of course, not binding authority and are often regarded as turning upon their own facts. Occasionally, however, a first instance decision provides something equally valuable: a principled analytical framework capable of assisting judges and practitioners faced with recurring problems for which there is little direct guidance. In my view, FH v MH (PD12J: Parallel Criminal Proceedings) [2026] EWFC 195 (B) is such a case.’

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No. 5 Barristers Chambers, 3rd August 2026

Source: www.no5.com

‘For a parent involved in private children proceedings, a Cafcass section 7 report can appear decisive. Where it recommends no direct contact, the parent may understandably feel that the case has already been determined. H v R (Respect Programme or Equivalent Programme) [2026] EWFC 235 (B) is an important reminder that it has not. A section 7 recommendation is important professional evidence, but it remains evidence: the welfare decision belongs to the court, that responsibility cannot be abdicated. The case is particularly useful for practitioners dealing with findings of domestic abuse, recommendations for Respect-accredited perpetrator work and the difficult question of what should happen to a child’s relationship with a parent while such work is awaited.’

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No. 5 Barristers Chambers, 24th August 2026

Source: www.no5.com

‘Three men have been jailed over a multi-million pound tree-planting scam that cost nearly 3,000 investors their savings or pensions.’

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BBC News, 3rd September 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Despite Keir Starmer’s landslide majority just two years ago, the former Prime Minister announced his resignation from the premiership on 20 July. The departure of yet another prime minister, in short order, follows a series of political misjudgements that saw his support in both parliament and country drain away.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 3rd September 2026

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

‘Two men have been found guilty of robbing a fashion designer of his £137,000 Richard Mille watch, which was cut from his wrist as he left a Mayfair restaurant.’

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BBC News, 3rd September 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Can a father against whom findings of domestic abuse have been made by a family court plead ‘Not Guilty’ to those offences in the criminal court? Yes, if he denies the charges and rejects the family court findings. The standard of proof in the criminal court is higher, so in theory, that might not be reached. However, where there have been admissions or findings of domestic abuse, the family court is obliged to consider the extent to which the perpetrator has accepted their responsibility for what they did, and their motivation to change their behaviour to ensure that future contact is safe, under Family Procedure Rules PD 12J. It would be illogical to not go on to accept responsibility in the Crown Court, where the family court findings could be presented.’

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The Transparency Project, 30th August 2026

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

‘In Roberts v Ford Motor Company Ltd, HHJ Tindal (sitting as a High Court Judge) grappled with a question not previously addressed head-on by the authorities: does a dependant’s admission to a care home, following the tortious death of the family member who had cared for her, end her services dependency claim for care under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 (“FAA“)? The court considered that it did not. The decision offers valuable clarification of the approach to the curtailment of a services dependency claim articulated by Davies LJ in Steve Hill Ltd v Witham [2022] PIQR P2 (CA). It will be of considerable interest to practitioners handling FAA claims where the deceased was a family carer.’

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1 QMLR, 1st September 2026

Source: 1corqmlr.com

‘On 8 June 2026 the Government made The Provision of Information (Contractual Control) (Registered Land) Regulations 2026, to create a new, public register of “contractual control rights” in relation to registered land in England and Wales. […] In this article, we explain how to identify “contractual control rights” and the rules for their registration, and we also explore the implications of the contractual control regime for developers and promoters.’

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Mills & Reeve, 1st September 2026

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

‘All police forces in England and Wales will have specialist rape and sexual offence teams in place by December 2027, a year and a half ahead of the original deadline. The specialist teams are dedicated to investigating rape and sexual offences, supporting victims and bringing sex offenders to justice.’

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Home Office, 1st September 2026

Source: www.gov.uk

‘Despite growing public discussion about its potential role in the justice system, we still know remarkably little about how ordinary people are already using generally available tools like ChatGPT when they encounter legal problems. In turn, we are overlooking what those interactions can tell us about our justice system itself. To understand this shift, researchers at JUSTICE and the Administrative Fairness Lab came together to conduct the first large-scale study of public use of AI chatbots for legal help. Rather than asking people hypothetical questions about how or whether they might use AI, we asked about their actual experiences and, crucially, invited them to share the conversations they had already had with general-purpose chatbots. This blog shares some insights and example chats from this dataset.’

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JUSTICE, 1st September 2026

Source: www.justice.org.uk

‘The High Court has dismissed a judicial review claim contending that the London Borough of Southwark failed in its statutory duty to provide education for a child in her GCSE year.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd September 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘A man whose finances had been frozen by the Government because of his activities in Russian-occupied Ukraine cannot as a result be exempt from paying council tax, the High Court has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd September 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘This unusual neighbour dispute may clarify in time the law of nuisance upon which the Court of Appeal was divided. The CA took the unusual step of granting permission to appeal to the Supreme Court on a 2-1 decision.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 1st September 2026

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

‘The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) has issued new rules and guidance on non-financial misconduct (“NFM”). These changes, which came into effect on 1 September 2026, are likely to have a significant impact on the whole sector.’

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Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog, 1st September 2026

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

‘In July 2026, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in Geeks Limited v Watts, considering for the first time whether a training cost clawback provision was void in restraint of trade.’

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Kingsley Napley Employment Law Blog, 2nd September 2026

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

‘An extraordinary row broke out yesterday over whether Pogust Goodhead (PG) has been replaced as the solicitors bringing the Mariana Dam case, the largest group action in English legal history.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd September 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Justice secretary Alex Norris has pledged to end the ‘longstanding injustice’ of indefinite prison sentences once and for all and will consult former Labour home secretary David Blunkett – who described the introduction of IPP sentences as the ‘biggest regret’ of his time in government.’

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Law Society Gazette, 2nd September 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘About 700 eligible offenders will leave jails in England and Wales on the morning of 1 October and some 2,550 will have been released by the end of the year, the government’s revised early prison release plan shows.’

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BBC News, 2nd September 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘The Supreme Court has today [27th August] allowed the appeal in Avon Freeholds Ltd v Cresta Court E RTM Company Ltd [2026] UKSC 31, holding that the RTM Company is entitled to acquire the right to manage despite its failure to comply with statutory requirements regarding the service of notices inviting participation (“NIPs”). ‘

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Landmark Chambers, 27th August 2026

Source: www.landmarkchambers.co.uk

‘The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Yvette Cooper, has announced an update on the Government’s proposals to regulate the funeral sector, announced after the sentencing of funeral director Robert Bush, who was sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment on a total of 67 charges, including the prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud, fraudulent trading and theft.’

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Law & Religion UK, 1st September 2026

Source: lawandreligionuk.com