![David Lester (senior partner at Blythe Liggins), Darryl Barnes, Jagdeep Sandher (head of dispute resolution at Blythe Liggins)[4]](https://d1d8vslyhr7rdg.cloudfront.net/Pictures/274x183/4/2/8/116428_davidlesterseniorpartneratblytheligginsdarrylbarnesjagdeepsandherheadofdisputeresolutionatblytheliggins4_981603_crop.jpg)
News in focus
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NewsIn depth: Toon barmy - Newcastle's vibrant legal scene
Showcasing a region: Newcastle is a growing hub of increasingly diverse legal services – and opportunities for solicitors.
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NewsIn depth: Landmark ECtHR climate claims fail but activists hail 'fundamental change'
But have they changed the climate change justice discourse?
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NewsIn depth: Justice tech - one year to solve the access to justice crisis
LawtechUK’s latest laudable goal is to use artificial intelligence to help improve access to justice. But who is going to design – and pay for – this new ecosystem of online services?
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NewsIn depth: War of words - is inter-state justice in danger of becoming a dead letter?
Against a backdrop of Ukraine’s cases at the International Court of Justice, is inter-state justice a dusty irrelevance, or a key part of a long game to frustrate aggressors and win the peace?
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NewsIn depth: Post-PACCAR plans - lit funding sector enters critical period
Reversing PACCAR was the big talking point at the European litigation funding conference. Delegates also appeared relaxed over the prospect of regulation, but not when it came to a cap on fees.
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NewsIn depth: 'It's only the oldies left at 7.30' - benchmarking survey exposes productivity slump
A 1,000% rise in interest receipts has helped law firms stay financially resilient, the Law Society’s latest benchmarking survey shows. But chargeable hours continue to fall.
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NewsNews focus: National Conveyancing Week - digital property passport under scrutiny
The draft Digital Property Information Protocol was unveiled for National Conveyancing Week, but many practitioners are unconvinced it is any sort of panacea for the home buying process.
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NewsNews focus: Dr Bitcoin case comes to an abrupt end
Dr Craig Wright was accused of ‘forgery on an industrial scale’ in a case that ended yesterday when the High Court ruled he is not the inventor of bitcoin. The judge found his adversaries’ evidence ‘overwhelming’.
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NewsNews focus: More budget blues for the MoJ
The budget included a £55m boost for family justice, part of a £170m push for non-court resolution. But the profession reacted coolly, as day-to-day justice spending is again set to fall.
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NewsNews focus: Initiative to clear rape cases is 'plaster for a bullet wound'
A new initiative to clear rape cases which have been in the system for more than two years is welcome, but lawyers say investment in a dedicated workforce is the only way to tackle the backlog properly.
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NewsNews focus: Air taxis test the law
The advent of aircraft piloted remotely with the aid of AI threatens to rip up the rulebook on aviation law, the Law Commission has warned. Knowing what to regulate is fiendishly difficult
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NewsNews focus: How well are neurodiverse people supported in the profession?
As volunteer group Neurodiversikey launches a survey to find out how much support neurodiverse people in the law receive, three legal figures recount the anxiety of training and trying to fit in.
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NewsNews focus: Judgment week for the regulators
The Legal Services Board has unveiled its critique of eight frontline regulators, with the SRA one of ony two to receive top marks. Its report also calls for improvements in transparency, skills and use of evidence.
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NewsIn focus: Solicitors cool over new director's plans to transform the SFO
Nick Ephgrave last week set out an ambitious action plan, including speeding up cases and improving disclosure. But solicitors specialising in white-collar crime are sceptical.
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NewsIn Focus: 'Mildly ridiculous' - LSB chief’s candid verdict on the state of legal regulation
Amid mounting public outrage over the Post Office scandal, Legal Services Board chief Matthew Hill has delivered an outspoken valedictory message on the current state of legal regulation.
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NewsNews focus: First lady chief justice faces the media
Learning from other jurisdictions was a key theme of the lady chief justice’s first annual press conference. Open justice, diversity and broadcasting court proceedings also cropped up.
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NewsNews focus: Generative AI - law students call for guidance
Law students and academics need guidance on how to discern whether AI applications ‘pass the smell test’. A roundtable in Leeds heard that a ‘massive education programme’ is needed.
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NewsNews focus: A big character playing to Winn
The exponential growth of Newcastle’s Winn Group shows no signs of slowing down.
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NewsNews focus: bitcoin ‘identity’ dispute comes to court
Dr Craig Wright explains why he has faith in the British legal system as he prepares for Monday’s High Court showdown.
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NewsNews focus: Axiom Ince - the human toll
Amid the ongoing fallout from the collapse of Axiom Ince, 20 former clients of the firm have formed a support group on social media to share their experiences.