Commentary

His Honour Nicholas Chambers QC explains the purpose of a recent talk given at Brick Court Chambers on the future of judge-led conciliation. … Continue reading

David Burrows discusses public hearings and private advice in the context of the cases that define and explain the law in these areas.… Continue reading

When retired judge Peter Murphy invited Baroness Hale of Richmond to write the foreword to his latest collection of comic stories about a fictitious judge, he can have little thought that one of the fictional cases she would be introducing might have striking parallels with a real one coming before the Supreme Court.… Continue reading

David Burrows explores the relationship between common law and court rules and practice directions, in seeking to challenge the routine privacy of family court hearings. … Continue reading

Following a recent case, Louise Hopson, assistant editor of the Business Law Reports, points out the risks faced by SIPP providers who fail to ensure the suitability of investments, even when acting for clients on an execution-only basis.… Continue reading

For all practical purposes, the free legal database run by the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII) is an official source of judgments from senior courts that any member of the public or any journalist can use. But while anyone can read individual judgments and quote bits of them elsewhere, what are the rules about downloading and re-using the content in bulk? Is it public open data or are there restrictions on its re-use? There seems to be some confusion about this, which this article (reposted from the Transparency Project blog) aims to unpick.… Continue reading

Louise Hopson, assistant editor of the Business Law Reports, highlights a recent Court of Appeal judgment warning practitioners against superfluous citation of unreported cases.… Continue reading

David Burrows explains the current state of the common law on release of court material after a family case hearing… Continue reading

David Burrows considers what a recent Supreme Court decision says for open justice and common law proceedings generally, and family proceedings in particular. … Continue reading

As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Legal Aid Act 1949, David Burrows looks at the origins and current state of public funding for legal advice and litigation… Continue reading