‘Freemasons have failed in their attempt to bring a legal challenge against Britain’s biggest police force over its decision to compel staff to declare whether they are or have been members.’

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The Guardian, 17th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Child sex abuse is becoming increasingly complex to police and officers are arresting an average of 1,000 potential offenders each month, the National Crime Agency (NCA) says.’

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BBC News, 18th February 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Four Chagos Islanders have landed on one of the archipelago’s atolls to establish what they say will be a permanent settlement, in an attempt to complicate a British plan to transfer the territory to Mauritius.’

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The Guardian, 17th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘On 26 January 2026, we posted Church proposes significant increase in fees for burial which reviewed Schedule 1 of the draft Order, GS2434. A new Parochial Fees Order is required to set the fees for 2027 and beyond (the maximum period permitted under the Ecclesiastical Fees Measure 1986 (the 1986 Measure) is five years).’

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Law & Religion UK, 18th February 2026

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

‘If you are advising residential tenants, perhaps with security of tenure under the Rent Act 1977 (‘RA 1977’) or the Housing Act 1988, then you will be able to say with confidence whether they have the protection of the various service charge provisions in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (‘LTA 1985’). But what of someone who has a tenancy of a pub or a shop with a flat above: a business tenant of mixed-use premises who has no security under the aforementioned acts but who may well (subject to the contracting out procedure) have the protection of Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (‘the LTA 1954′)? Do they, like their purely residential neighbours, have rights which would enable them to – for example – challenge the reasonableness of their service charges?’

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Gatehouse Chambers, 17th February 2026

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

‘A Transport for London (TfL) ad featuring a black teenage boy verbally harassing a white girl has been banned for “perpetuating the negative racial stereotype about black men as perpetrators of threatening behaviour”.’

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The Guardian, 18th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Dozens of universities are facing legal action from more than 170,000 students seeking compensation after their studies were moved online during Covid-19.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘The family of a tragic mum have won a £700,000 court fight with her “toxic” boyfriend after he used a forged will and a fake wedding in a bid to get his hands on her fortune.’

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The Independent, 17th February 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Whilst the Supreme Court considers the Attorney General for Northern Ireland’s reference, I am being cautious about commenting about cases concerning deprivation of liberty, given my role in the case. However, I think that I can properly say that the decision of Henke J in East Riding of Yorkshire Council v The Mother & Ors [2026] EWCOP 11 (T3) is another in a line of first instance decisions which reinforce how badly the question of the scope of parental responsibility relating to confinement for those under 16 requires consideration by the appellate courts. The case was a little different to some of those which I have commented on previously, in that there was active argument as to the scope of the ability of the parents in question to consent to the confinement of their child (but I do not understand that there is likely to be any appeal).’

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Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 16th February 2026

Source: www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk

‘Two teenagers have been found guilty of killing a man they believed was a paedophile by luring him to a beach where another teenager threw rocks at him.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Hate crimes which target people on the grounds of their sexuality or gender identity, or a disability, are set to become aggravated offences under a proposed new law.’

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BBC News, 16th Februry 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘More than a dozen fertility patients have won a high court battle to save their embryos, eggs and sperm from destruction after errors meant they did not renew consent to store them within the 10-year window required by law.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘The principles that govern a child’s post-adoption contact with his or her birth family have developed from a position that there should be a complete break at the point of adoption. The Adoption Act 1976 outlawed private adoption agreements, making adoptions the responsibility of local authorities. It also allowed for ‘letterbox contact’ – the exchange of letters, cards and photographs via the local authority (LA).’

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Law Society's Gazette, 13th February 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Licensing Hours Extensions Act 2026

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

‘Imagine the scene. You have been injured in an accident, and you have brought a claim for compensation. You hope that the claim will settle, but it turns out the other side are arguing about who was to blame for the accident, or about how much compensation you should receive. The claim ends up going to court. You feel quite nervous. You have never done anything like this before, and the thought of standing there being questioned is stomach-churning. But your solicitors and barrister do their best to prepare you, and so you head to court. The barrister representing the other side asks you some questions. Some of the questions are quite tough – they are saying that you are not right about how the accident happened, or that some of the injuries were less serious than you have said. But you get to the end of the questioning and everything seems quite straightforward. You sit down, and listen to the barristers doing their closing speeches.’

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Exchange Chambers, 29th February 2026

Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk

‘The House of Lords last week backed government plans to expand eligibility to become Crown prosecutors to CILEX lawyers and other non-solicitors and barristers.’

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Legal Futures, 16th February 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk