‘The decision by Serco to remove the artworks, commissioned to cheer up court custody areas that are often underground and “bleak”, is revealed in the annual report of the Lay Observers, independent members of the public who monitor court custody and escort conditions. The report draws on 759 visits to court custody suites across England and Wales, representing almost 2,000 hours of monitoring.’

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The Guardian, 10th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘A successful violinist who sent lewd images of himself to two women he had never met has been given a 12-month suspended prison sentence.’

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BBC News, 9th February 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘The First-tier Tribunal had delivered a ruling in which it has allowed a claimant to challenge the imposition of a liability order on public law grounds, despite the jurisdiction for this not being set out explicitly in the relevant statute. The decision does not set a precedent, and strictly involves a narrow point of construction relating to the Finance Act. However, its reasoning, if approved or adopted on appeal, may have significant ramifications for claimants wishing to rely on public law grounds before tribunal appeals more generally. The case is Hall v HMRC [2026] UKFTT 124 (TC) (13 January 2026).’

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Administrative Court Blog, 9th February 2026

Source: administrativecourtblog.wordpress.com

‘A nursery worker has been found guilty of sexually abusing children in what was described in court as “every parent’s nightmare”.’

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BBC News, 9th February 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘The High Court has rejected an accusation of abuse of process levied against a leading consumer claim law firm and a KC over their conduct of a data breach case.’

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Legal Futures, 10th February 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘The University of Cambridge has won its fight to stop a rowing company based in the city trademarking its name.’

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BBC News, 10th February 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘A now-defunct law firm has won a Limitation Act argument over two negligence claims initially brought against the firm that the claimants wrongly believed to be its successor practice.’

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Legal Futures, 9th February 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘The current “uncertain and demanding times” are reflected in the record number of lawyers receiving emotional support from legal mental health charity LawCare, according to its chief executive.’

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Legal Futures, 9th February 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘A barrister who sexually assaulted a child in 1992 and “used his position of trust to groom that victim” has been disbarred.’

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Legal Futures, 9th February 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘The Government has launched proposals to strengthen the Victims’ Code, including plans to introduce a child-friendly version for the first time, in an effort to improve children’s understanding of their rights within the criminal justice system.’

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Family Law, 9th February 2026

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

‘Scott Chapman, of Hereford, had his sentence increased by nearly two and half years after the Solicitor General referred his case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.’

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Attorney General’s Office, 6th February 2026

Source: www.gov.uk

‘”It manifestly appeareth, that no man ought be imprisoned but for some certain cause: and these words, Ad subjiciend’ Et recipiend, prove that cause must be shewed: for otherwise how can the Court take order therein according to Law” (Edward Coke, The Second Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England). These are the words of Sir Edward Coke, in his support for the Petition of Right 1628, a landmark English constitutional document presented to King Charles I by Parliament, demanding an end to (among other things) arbitrary imprisonment. The Petition of Right was a crucial precursor to the famous Habeas Corpus Act 1679, an act that forms the bedrock of due process and the right to a fair trial in English law.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 9th February 2026

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

‘The UK government has revised its implementation timeline for the Employment Rights Act (ERA), but employers must prepare ahead of these changes coming into force, an expert has warned.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 6th February 2026

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

‘In this blog post, the latest in a series from barristers at Monckton Chambers on the citizens’ rights provisions of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement, Alastair Holder Ross examines the continuing relevance of the Charter of Fundamental Rights for EU citizens living in the UK.’

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UK-EU Relations Law, 9th February 2026

Source: eurelationslaw.com

‘The second – and final – instalment of Sir Brian Leveson’s criminal courts review arrived this week, containing 135 recommendations to drive Crown court efficiency.’

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Law Society Gazette, 8th February 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Maxine Reid-Roberts & Ors v Mei-Lin & Gudmundson [2026] EWHC 49 (Ch) has made a bit of a media stir. The headlines are all about whether you can give your home away by a WhatsApp. However, the decision is more interesting and of wider application for financial remedy practitioners than these soundbites suggest.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 5th February 2026

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

‘Campaigners are urging ministers to change the law so that music lyrics are inadmissible in court, a shift that they say would stop a practice that disproportionately affects young black men and criminalises creativity.’

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The Guardian, 9th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘As the highest court in the UK, the supreme court is usually the forum for proceedings of the utmost gravity. But last week, one hearing was momentarily interrupted by an unlikely and comic intervention.’

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The Guardian, 7th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com