Articles

Sarah Bowen analyses the case of Leicester City Council v Bindu Parmar [2025] EWCA Civ 952, a race discrimination case in which the Court of Appeal makes observations on actual, hypothetical, and 'evidential' comparators and evaluates if the ET had misidentified the comparators in its finding for the claimant.

In Standish v Standish [2025] UKSC 26, the Supreme Court has offered timely and much-needed clarification on the operation of the sharing principle in financial remedy cases, particularly in relation to the matrimonialisation of non-matrimonial property. For practitioners, this is now essential reading.

Alice de Coverley and Jim Hirschmann consider how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already being used in education and by Local Authorities, as well as its possible benefits and risks.

Jim and Alice examine what the use of AI might mean in practical and legal terms, for lawyers, parents, local authority and education professionals involved in education and EHC plans.

Winding back the clock and withdrawing a pre-action admission is difficult. There is inevitably a tension between the finality of litigation and the interests of fairness. When a pre-action admission is made, the trajectory of a claim is set in motion. As the White Book commentary provides scant guidance on CPR 14.5, in this article I examine what happens when a defendant seeks to withdraw that admission, with particular focus on Somoye v North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust [2023] EWHC 191 (KB) and the Court of Appeal’s guidance in Wood v Days Healthcare UK Limited [2017] EWCA Civ 2097.

Stephen Wildblood KC and Dr. Freda Gardner both trained mediators, collaborate as a consultant clinical psychologist and a lawyer to offer separating couples an alternative form of non-court dispute resolution (NCDR) concerning children and finances.

Their article - first published in the Financial Remedies Journal - describes their work and its benefits and also explores settlement meetings. Their collaborative approach, which integrates the expertise of a lawyer and a clinical psychologist, harmonises informed conflict resolution with legal experience and psychological insights.

The EAT considers 9 different ET cases and settles the debate. In Raison v DF Capital Bank Limited & Others [EA 2024 000292] Joseph England was successful before the EAT in having the appeal dismissed. The EAT agreed with Joseph’s argument that time spent in ACAS EC prior to limitation starting is not added on to the end of the limitation period.

Family law barrister and arbitrator Nicola Frost explores the benefits of arbitration as an alternative to court proceedings for  the resolution of family law issues.

Gareth Graham considers the case of XY v AB [2025] EAT 66, in which the EAT provides a comprehensive review of the principles to be considered when applications are made for permanent anonymity orders.

Daniel Brown considers the Court of Appeal's judgment in Melki v Bouygues E and S Contracting UK Ltd [2025] EWCA Civ 585, likely to give the EAT broader discretion to extend time in cases where an appeal is submitted in time but without all the required documents.

Ben Amunwa explores in three stages the sudden withdrawal of employment claims and the issues that can arise as result. Ben first considers the procedure in itself; practical difficulties; timing and finally the wider implications for the administration of justice.

Simon Tibbitts reviews the case of Handa v The Station Hotel (Newcastle) Ltd & Ors [2025] EAT 62, which highlights the complexity of establishing agency within employment contexts, and emphasises the importance of authority, control, and the scope of functions in determining agency relationships.

Matthew Curtis summarises the case of Woodhead v WTTV Ltd & Anor [2025] EWHC 1128 (KB) and its important learning points for those involved in or advising on disciplinaries and other internal procedures that may give rise to significant mental distress.