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Just this week, the UK government delivered their annual budget, which is arguably the most significant fiscal update of the year. It could see entire large corporate strategies shift, changes in investment decisions and a surge in demand for legal advice from businesses in the UK. After being haunted by economic uncertainty, rising inflation and rising pressure on public finances, the Autumn Budget introduced a couple of regulatory changes and sweeping taxes that are likely

In May 2025, the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction of Peter Sullivan, a 68-year-old man who had spent 38 years in prison for a murder he always said he did not commit. His release marked the longest known wrongful imprisonment of a living person in modern British history. Judges accepted that new DNA evidence rendered the original conviction unsafe, and Sullivan was finally cleared.Sullivan had been found guilty in 1987 of the murder and sexual assault of 21-year- ol

For centuries, the jury has been one of the most recognisable features of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Although not a formal constitutional right, the presence of twelve citizens in the courtroom has long been seen as a safeguard against concentrated state power. Today, that tradition is facing new pressure. A series of proposals, prompted by growing concern about court delays, has opened a national discussion about whether juries should remain central t

As many readers would know, there has been a sea of news about the budget being thrown around in the past few weeks. The budget is a statement made by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to MPs in the House of Commons, presenting the government’s plans for the economy, including changes to taxation and spending. The date of the budget is set on the 26 th of November, 2025. At the outset, the date was criticised by Scotland’s Finance Secretary as ‘delayed’ and that it is now ‘high

For postgraduate law students, the path to qualification could be about to change dramatically. A recent High Court ruling in Mazur & Stuart v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP (2025), has sent shockwaves through the legal training world, with Catherine Fisher, Managing Partner, of Morr & Co. commenting that Mazur, “quietly drops a bit of a bombshell.” Mazur redefines how UK law firms can use ‘non-qualified’ staff in litigation. This case is more than a regulatory footnote: it’

Record-breaking valuations, soaring tech stocks, and remarkable AI enthusiasm; haven’t we been here before? Every major competitor is chasing after AI integration, investment, and development; conditions that have been likened to the 90s’ dot-com boom. Consequently, financial organisations, including the Bank of England, have warned of an ‘AI bubble’ that is likely to ‘burst’ and cause a sharp market correction, i.e. a stock market crash. In this article, we look at the warni

When Athenian citizens first gathered under the legal reforms of Solon, in the sixth century BC, to hear evidence and deliver verdicts, they forged a principle that would echo through the centuries: trial by jury. Centuries later, this tradition of judgement by peers became embedded in English law. In 1215, Magna Carta’s Clause 39 declared: “ No free man shall be seized or imprisoned… except by the lawful judgment of his peers or the law of the land. ” This principle became a

The 2007 to 2008 financial crisis is one of the most defining and historically significant economic events in Britain’s 21st-century history. The unprecedented incident began with the collapse of the US subprime mortgage market, which sent shock waves that spread and were felt across global financial systems. This was particularly significant for the UK, whose economy relied heavily on its financial services sector. The impact exposed deep structural weaknesses in major banks

The rise of deepfake technology has created one of the most unsettling challenges the legal system has ever faced. Courts have always relied on recordings, photographs and videos as powerful forms of evidence. Deepfakes undermine this foundation by allowing people to fabricate convincing audio or visual material that appears completely genuine. A recent family court case in the United Kingdom shows how serious the danger has become. During a custody dispute, one parent submit

In the early hours of August 1963, a Royal Mail train travelling from Glasgow to London was stopped in the Buckinghamshire countryside and robbed of £2.6 million in banknotes. The crime was carried out by a team of fifteen men who had planned the operation with military level precision. It became known as the Great Train Robbery and it remains one of the most famous criminal cases in British history. Its impact on public imagination was enormous, but its influence on crimina

In 1944, during the final phase of the Second World War, Britain carried out one of the strangest prosecutions in its modern legal history. Helen Duncan, a Scottish spiritualist medium, became the last person in the United Kingdom to be convicted under the 1735 Witchcraft Act. Her case continues to fascinate many people today, not only because of its unusual charge, but also because of what it reveals about fear, secrecy, and the power of the state. Duncan gained wide attenti

For more than 30 years, English football lost one of its main characteristics in terms of fan-generated atmosphere: the introduction of all-seater stadiums. In April 1989, ninety-seven Liverpool supporters tragically lost their lives, leading to the publication of the Taylor Report, which recommended that all stadiums in the top tiers of football in the United Kingdom change towards a "sit down and support" type of venue. The law followed the Report, and the famous terraces

Social media is now football's new home.  Most players nowadays quickly jump to social media after a match, being particularly hyperactive after a win. Whilst they can quickly connect with a lot of fans, this same connection makes them open to derogatory comments, rumours, and false statements.  For some players, having a below-par performance on Saturday can result in their names trending online for the wrong reasons by Sunday morning. While football teams are adapting to s

With application season here, and moving faster than ever, it's important to take inventory of the things you need not forget when filling out the application form. Below is a list of tips I’ve learned from experience and the experienced on how to go about vacation scheme and training contract applications. 1. The ‘STAR’ method Situation, Task, Action, Result. Throughout your application process, including interviews and blended assessments, you’ll be asked to answer competen

I recently had the privilege of attendig Mishcon de Reya’s insight day in London and I would like to share my insight and things that impressed me, or did not on that day.  The office was genuinely very impressive, although I thought I went to the wrong place as Mishcon shares the same building as a massive Wetherspoons. When I walked in, I was greeted by a grand lobby with a chandelier hanging elegantly above a marble floor that might prove to be hazardous on a windy day.  

Silence was once the ultimate safeguard of the innocent. In modern policing, however, that silence can now be used against you. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 transformed a centuries-old right by allowing juries to draw ‘adverse inferences’ from a suspect’s decision not to speak. This change marked a turning point in British criminal law. Where silence once protected against coercion and confusion, it can now create suspicion. Supporters argue that innocent pe

The death penalty represents the state’s ultimate power over life. Its supporters argue that it deters crime and delivers justice for victims. Yet history repeatedly shows that human systems are fallible, and wrongful executions cannot be undone. One of the most haunting British examples is Timothy Evans, hanged in 1950 for the murder of his wife and child. Three years later, the real killer, his neighbour John Christie, confessed to multiple murders in the same building. Eva

Eyewitness testimony has long been viewed as powerful evidence in court, often swaying juries more than any other kind of proof. Yet history has repeatedly shown how unreliable human memory can be, especially under pressure. Few cases illustrate this more clearly than that of Adolf Beck, whose wrongful conviction exposed the deep flaws of eyewitness identification. In 1896, Beck, a respectable Norwegian-born businessman living in London, was arrested after a series of women a

During certain economic periods, particularly when conditions tighten and borrowing costs remain very high, it seems strange that M&A can persist. This is the function of corporate carve-outs. Instead of businesses pursuing large-scale acquisitions, a growing number of businesses have chosen to divest non-core assets through this carve-out process. As this trend emerged and reshaped the M&A landscape, it has created some challenges and business opportunities for global law f

The commercialisation of football has transformed the Premier League into a lucrative betting market generating billions in annual turnover. Within this landscape, the exploitation of ‘insider information’ by players and club staff represents a fundamental threat to sporting integrity, thereby attracting scrutiny from both the FA’s regulatory bodies and the UK criminal justice system. This dual-layered legal framework reflects the serious nature of insider betting, where econ