‘A circuit judge’s ruling on costs penalties for unreasonable behaviour ‘would blow the scheme of the small claims track to bits’ if found to be correct, three Court of Appeal judges have ruled. In Steven Orton v Barclays Bank, the judges allowed an appeal against a ruling that the conduct of a party who discontinued a mis-selling claim shortly before trial amounted to ‘unreasonable behaviour’ under the Civil Procedure Rules.’

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Law Society Gazette, 14th August 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘The High Court has agreed an application by the London Borough of Brent to withdraw a deprivation of liberty order (DOL), even though the child’s guardian opposed this.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th August 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘The High Court has refused an application for judicial review of West Oxfordshire District Council’s decision not to become embroiled in a neighbour dispute.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th August 2026

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘The prime minister has been urged not to dash the hopes of thousands of prisoners trapped on indefinite jail terms after he pledged to find a resolution to the “long-running injustice”.’

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The Independent, 15th August 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘The possession of child-like sex dolls could be banned in England and Wales under proposed draft legislation.’

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The Independent, 17th August 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘More women will die if ministers include domestic abusers in the early prison release scheme, the parents of a woman murdered by her partner shortly after he was freed have warned.’

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The Guardian, 17th August 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘A man who killed his wife and refuses to reveal where her body is cannot be freed from prison, after the High Court overturned the Parole Board’s decision to release him.’

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BBC News, 14th August 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Disabled and terminally ill campaigners have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to reform social and palliative care before assisted dying legislation is introduced in England and Wales.

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BBC News, 14th August 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘This paper examines decision making when very young children are at risk of interim removal from their mothers. It draws upon the legal framework and the threshold that should be upheld in cases involving removal into care. Statistics are presented indicating an increase in the number of cases involving babies and very young infants entering care, and the use of very short time scales from application to court hearings. National evidence is presented indicating the impact of poverty and deprivation in such cases. Stark regional differences highlight the disparity between care proceedings and removal of babies and infants in the North East of England. Resources remain overstretched and underfunded yet it is argued that the impact of is compounded by a workforce where social workers continue to report low job satisfaction, remain constrained by bureaucratic process and operate in a risk averse culture. In cases of removal of babies decisions are more likely to be based on poor evidence due to lack of time available to consider all possible options for children. Some examples of alternative approaches are considered and despite evidence of their success it is highlighted that initiatives are funded sporadically and inconsistently. Some recommendations are made in terms of ways forward and priorities if progress is to be made to decrease the numbers of babies entering care.’

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Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 12th August 2026

Source: www.tandfonline.com

‘A protester who attempted to force his way into a hotel accommodating asylum seekers while wearing a Union flag like a cloak has avoided a prison sentence.’

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The Independent, 13th August 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘A woman who posed as a sex worker and administered a deadly amount of sedative to two men has been jailed for 17 years, along with her accomplice.’

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The Guardian, 13th August 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘A man who fatally punched a fellow regular at a pub in a row over a phone charger has been jailed for five years after being convicted of manslaughter.’

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BBC News, 13th August 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘A judge has condemned the “utter incompetence” of a law firm that claimed it had instructions to represent the husband in a financial remedy case when it did not.’

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Legal Futures, 13th August 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘A transport manager has been awarded nearly £50,000 after she was wrongly accused by her bosses of getting intoxicated during her lunch break, when she was in fact experiencing the effects of her bipolar medication.’

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The Independent, 13th August 2026

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Three teenagers on a violent mission “to obtain money or drugs” have been found guilty of murdering a man.’

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BBC News, 13th August 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘On 5 June 2026 the government published a Consultation Document titled ‘A Fairer End to Relationships’. This consultation will close on 14 August 2026. In this article, we explore exactly what is being proposed.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 10th August 2026

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

‘Part 2 of the Ministry of Justice’s consultation paper, A Fairer End to Relationships (“the CP”), proposes a financial remedies scheme for cohabitants on separation. It casts the net far too wide. If legislation goes through as proposed, an unfair regime will be foisted on millions of couples. Childless cohabitants, specifically, should not automatically become a financial unit in the eyes of the law just because they have lived together for 3 years. The CP does not acknowledge this but instead says that in an effort to protect women, children, and victim-survivors of domestic abuse, they will throw the baby out with the bathwater and introduce reform for a whole host of extra people too.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 12th August 2026

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

‘Reform of this scale invites comparison. At a recent roundtable, family law specialists from Hugh James and Brodies brought together practitioners from Wales and Scotland to test where each jurisdiction might learn from the other.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 12th August 2026

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

‘The representative body for family lawyers has rejected claims that cohabitation reforms amount to ‘state forced marriage’ and would overwhelm the courts.’

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Law Society Gazette, 12th August 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Proposed new rights for unmarried couples would amount to ‘state forced marriage’, a former Bar Standards Board chair said as the government’s consultation on new financial rights and obligations approaches its closing date.’

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Law Society Gazette, 12th August 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk