Solicitors Journal Insights | Latest Legal News, Updates & Professional News

Can artificial intelligence be trusted for legal research? Lessons from Ayinde

James Tumbridge, a Partner at Keystone Law, looks at the decision in Ayinde, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Haringey [2025] EWHC 1383 (Admin) (6 June 2025) concerning the duties that lawyers owe to the court and the actual or suspected use of artificial intelligence by lawyers to generate legal documents or arguments without adequate checking of the outputs

Deadline extended for asylum casework inspection

The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has extended the deadline for evidence submissions on asylum decisions to 9 July 2025

Cindy Butts appointed as Standing Advocate

Cindy Butts has been confirmed as the preferred candidate for the role of Standing Advocate supporting victims of major incidents

LZLabs v IBM: Court of Appeal refuses permission to appeal intellectual property breach

Court of Appeal upholds IBM's victory in software reverse engineering dispute

MediaTek v Huawei: High Court refuses stay application despite new undertakings

High Court rejects Huawei's second stay application citing insufficient material change of circumstances

George’s Law

Keeley Lengthorn, a Partner and the Head of Public Law at RWK Goodman, shares her personal journey to securing bereavement leave for parents who lose a pregnancy under 24 weeks

SJ Interview: Gary Gallen

The Solicitors Journal speaks to the Founder and CEO of rradar

Playing politics with the rule of law

Populist attacks on legal limits threaten to redefine sovereignty and reshape Britain’s constitutional future, warns Mark Elliot

Capsticks expands pensions team with new partner

Capsticks has reinforced its Employment and Pensions team with pensions expert Kate Beech's appointment as Partner

Goodwin advises on Sophora acquisition financing

Goodwin has supported Sophora in financing the acquisition of indevis to create a cybersecurity group

More of the Latest Legal News and Court Reports

Modernising wills: revolutionary or evolutionary?

3 Jul 2025

New strategy boosts legal services growth

3 Jul 2025

Government boosts legal aid funding

2 Jul 2025

Standish v Standish: Supreme Court clarifies matrimonial asset classification in divorce

2 Jul 2025

Confidentiality rings in procurement challenges: Lime Technology v Liverpool City Council sets new precedent

2 Jul 2025

The proposed Hillsborough law

2 Jul 2025

Court waiting times threaten justice access

2 Jul 2025

Justice system needs urgent recovery plan

2 Jul 2025

SKE v Bargain Busting: High Court Clarifies Goodwill Standards in Trademark Opposition

1 Jul 2025

Court Report

Cross-Border Evidence Requests: Topalsson GmbH v Rolls-Royce Motorcars Limited Analysis

High Court ruling on international evidence requests in copyright disputes sets precedents for cross-border litigation.

Attorney General's Discretionary Powers: High Court Confirms Non-Justiciability in Campbell Case

High Court rules Attorney General's section 13 Coroners Act decisions non-justiciable in landmark Campbell judgement.

Haworth v HMRC: Court of Appeal Clarifies Place of Effective Management Test

Court of Appeal ruling on POEM interpretation for trust tax residency under UK-Mauritius treaty

High Court Clarifies Cost Liability in Illiquidx v Altana Trade Secrets Case

Costs ruling highlights precision’s impact in complex commercial confidentiality disputes.

Opinion

Is this the end of the staff social?

Eleanor Rogers from Constantine Law reviews the impact so far of the new duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace

The report on improving family court services for children is an unsurprisingly depressing read for family law practitioners

Rachel Frost-Smith, Legal Director of the Family Team at Birketts, shares her experience of the impact of the delays in family court proceedings

Dead and…buried?

In this opinion piece, Roman Kubiak, Partner and Head of Private Wealth Disputes at Hugh James, discusses the Law Commission’s consultation paper on new funerary methods

How lawyers can translate climate goals into enforceable contracts

Natasha Morgan, Head of Legal Content at The Chancery Lane Project, shares her thoughts on the role of lawyers in implementing climate transition plans

Feature

Restoring control over the immigration system: the government’s White Paper

Liz Barratt, Partner and Head of the Immigration Team at Bindmans, dissects the government’s White Paper on immigration

Sorry seems to be the hardest word… changes afoot for the law of apologies

Oliver Lock from Farrer & Co takes a closer look at the changes being proposed to legislation to facilitate apologies without admitting liability

Merricks v Mastercard: the first contested settlement of a funded class action

Emma Carr and Louise Macdonald from Gowling WLG provide an overview of the ruling and its significance

Export-led growth for the UK and UK–EU relations

Following the UK–EU Summit held in London on 19 May 2025, Anthony Woolich, a Partner at Blake Morgan, reviews the approach being taken to reset UK–EU trade relations

Practice Notes

Modernising cross-border criminal justice: why the UK needs a root-and-branch reform

The UK’s outdated legal tools hinder its fight against global crime—comprehensive reform is urgently needed to stay effective.

Protecting the public interest in the practice of law

The SRA relies on self-reporting to function, yet confusion and inertia risk enabling professional misconduct.

Whose truth? Witness Statement and the pursuit of credibility

Although PD57AC aims to restore witness credibility, enforcement remains patchy and manipulation still lurks

High Court ruling affects Havering land

A recent High Court ruling influences how contaminated land is designated, impacting the health of Havering residents

International

AI, data and breaches: security in the age of machine learning

As AI transforms business operations, it also magnifies data breach risks—demanding smarter, AI-specific security strategies from both customers and suppliers

Can you rely on a contract you’ve repudiated? South Africa's SCA says yes - sometimes

In a landmark ruling, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has held that key contractual clauses—such as liability limitations and time bars—can survive even where a party repudiates the contract

The importance of cross-border litigation in an increasingly protectionist world

Commercial Courts are crucial for resolving disputes amid rising economic nationalism and global trade fragmentation

Australia's proposed reforms for preventing psychological injuries

In Australia, the NSW government's proposed reforms aim to reduce psychological injury claims in the workplace and focus on prevention

Business

What the Trump tariffs mean for UK construction

The US trade tariffs will increase costs in many industries, especially construction

Optis v Apple: Court of Appeal redefines FRAND principles for global SEP licensing

Court of Appeal overturns High Court ruling, restoring comparables-based FRAND valuation and reshaping SEP dispute standards.

Eraaya v Elara Capital: High Court Dismisses Mandatory Injunction in £40M Bond Dispute

The analysis of Eraaya Lifespaces Limited v Elara Capital Plc & Ors uncovers crucial financial legal principles

The legal issues surrounding shadow directors and the Matt Haycox case

Matt Haycox’s legal troubles shed light on shadow directorship, director disqualification and cross-border asset disputes.

SJ Interview

SJ Interview: Jinal Shah

For the June 2025 volume Jinal Shah of BCLP speaks to the Solicitors Journal

SJ Interview: Harriet Wistrich

For the May 2025 volume, Harriet Wistrich speaks to the Solicitors Journal about her book 'Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men', which has been nominated for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction

SJ Interview: Lord David Neuberger

For the April 2025 volume, Lord David Neuberger speaks to the Solicitors Journal

SJ Interview: Honor Giles

Honor Giles, Partner and Mediator at Maguire Family Law speaks to the Solicitors Journal about the changes being implemented to family law and whether further reform is needed

Appointments

Moore Barlow strengthens legal team significantly

Moore Barlow has welcomed three legal professionals including a partner to enhance its key practices

Shakespeare Martineau hires higher education director

Leading law firm Shakespeare Martineau has appointed Dr Paul Greatrix to strengthen its education consultancy

Taylor Wessing announces new real estate head

Taylor Wessing strengthens its real estate group with the appointment of Emma Chadwick as partner

Knights welcomes Mark O’Halloran to Brighton

Mark O’Halloran joins Knights in Brighton as a partner, enhancing their commercial team and expertise in law

Recruitment

Exciting property role at Motus Recruitment

A pioneering company in the property sector is expanding and looking for new talent to join their team in Basingstoke

Senior Legal Counsel 8+ Construction - Hybrid

Property 3+ Hybrid – Bath Area

Rapidly expanding renewables company focusing on solar, wind and storage projects

The unstoppable rise of IT-driven hiring

The recruitment landscape is transforming dramatically as IT solutions, especially LinkedIn, reshape hiring practices and collaboration

Announcements

Goodwin advises Rantum Capital on financing

Goodwin has successfully guided Rantum Capital in financing an international lab services company supporting its growth ambitions in South Africa

Norton Rose Fulbright aids major REIT offer

Norton Rose Fulbright is advising on a £485 million cash and shares offer for Warehouse REIT plc as Tritax Big Box REIT moves to expand its investment portfolio, with the deal being described as a recommended offer that underscores the growing significance of logistics properties in the market

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