Articles

Expert planning and land-based Chancery barrister William Webster has written a succinct guide on the current planning concerns surrounding air conditioning units installed on the outside of existing buildings.

Victoria Hamblen, specialist property and estates barrister at 3PB, has written on the recent case of R (North Warwickshire Borough Council) v Secretary of State for Transport [2026] EWCA Civ 832, which involved a change to part of the design of the HS2 plans.

Eleanor Marsh represented the mother in the case of FH v MH (PH12J: Parallel Criminal Proceedings) [2026] EWFC 195 (B), where the Court considered the relationship between the assessment of risk within the Family Court and ongoing criminal proceedings. The Court applied the Resolution model, finding that the maintaining of a guilty plea within criminal proceedings need not be fatal to an assessment of risk within the Family Courts.

Eaindra Cho considers the Court of Appeal's judgment in Burger v Risk Solutions BG Limited and J D Wetherspoon PLC [2026] EWCA Civ 804, with its useful summary of the law dealing with vicarious liability.

Andrew MacPhail analyses Leighton v Renfrewshire Council [2026] EAT 95, noting that s27(2)(c) is drafted using broad terms and without express limitation. Employers should thus take care that a worker has not performed a protected act before taking action.

Craig Ludlow analyses Geeks Limited v Watts [2026] EWCA Civ 889, a case which makes it clear that clawback clauses need to be carefully drafted to show that repayment is properly linked to circumstances that justify the investment made, and demonstrate a real connection between the sums repayable and the actual loss made.

They discuss how family members often contribute to the purchase of a home, but informal arrangements can lead to disputes over ownership, which judgment creditors seeking to enforce a final charging order should be wary of when trying to obtain an order for sale. The High Court's decision in Kroll confirms that the Presumption of Advancement now carries little weight and can be easily rebutted, with important consequences for judgment claimants seeking to enforce any judgments.

This article looks at the case of Re MacDougall [2026] EWHC 1142 (Ch). The court considered six main legal issues about making a will, as well as a separate issue called ademption. Five of the issues involved well-established legal rules, including mental capacity, understanding and approving a will, undue influence and the duties of attorneys. The sixth issue was less certain and is the main focus of this article: can a will be rescinded on the grounds of a mistake?

They discuss the recent decision of Reid-Roberts v Mei-Lin [2026] EWHC 49 (Ch) which provides a helpful gloss on the Court of Appeal case of Hudson v Hathway [2022] EWCA Civ 1648.

Hathway clarified the requirements for creating a constructive trust through a post-acquisition agreement about beneficial ownership. This article examines how later cases have applied these rules, particularly regarding electronic messages and what counts as detrimental reliance. There are also helpful tips for practitioners dealing with trusts.

Emma McIlveen, writes about the new breed of platform, which is quietly reshaping employment tribunal practice. Grapple Law, marketed as an AI-powered legal platform for individuals and small businesses, allows users to generate ET1 claims, draft legal letters, and respond to disputes without instructing a solicitor. It is slick, it is accessible, and it is entirely unregulated.

Andrew Duncan recalls his time on the Falkland Islands, leading a team in a 2-week case in a community so small and tight-knit that the judiciary has to carefully navigate its presence and interactions within society to be able to consistently deliver impartial justice.

Charles Hogan shares the explanatory guide to a flowchart intended to identify which routes are available to set aside or vary a financial remedy order on facts, as well as some basic information about procedure under the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (‘FPR’) and (in some cases) legal test.