Battle to water down jury trial reforms continues
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (17 April 2026) The government has continued to bat away proposed amendments to the Courts and Tribunals Bill that would have watered down its plans to curb jury trials as part of wider efforts to cut the Crown court backlog. However, an important amendment on specialist rape courts – a Labour manifesto commitment – […]
Oxbridge graduates 15 times more likely to receive top pupillage awards
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (10 April 2026) Bar pupils who attended Oxbridge are 15 times more likely than others to obtain financial awards of £60,000 or more, according to the Bar Council’s latest pupil survey which asked about university education for the first time. The fifth survey, published today, also reveals that 8% of pupils working […]
LONDON LEGAL WALK – 2026
Team MT UK is proud to be taking part in the London Legal Walk on Tuesday 9 June 2026. The team will be walking alongside the Lady Chief Justice and thousands of legal professionals to raise vital funds for the London Legal Support Trust (LLST). Last year, the 21st London Legal Walk raised over £1,000,000, […]
Unclaimed class action cash attracts £68m worth of funding bids
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (24 March 2026) Organisations providing free legal advice submitted bids totalling £68 million for grants from a £4m pot largely made up of unclaimed cash from a class action settlement, the Access to Justice Foundation has revealed. The foundation announced its latest grants programme in January after receiving £3.7m from the boundary fares class […]
UK Finance drops £50 fee for Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (30 January 2026) UK Finance has dropped plans to charge conveyancers an annual fee to access lender instructions after the banking trade association’s decision sparked widespread outrage. Conveyancers currently access – for free and without registering – the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook on the trade body’s website. The handbook provides standard […]
Reminder to carry a British passport or Certificate of Entitlement for international travel
(eVisa Direct Messaging) >> (21 January 2026) As part of our ongoing support for the move to a digital immigration system, we’d like to remind everyone that to enter the UK as a British citizen, you must hold, and travel with, one of the following valid documents: • A valid British citizen passport, or • […]
Thousands more cases to be piled onto creaking ET system
By John Hyde >> (9 January 2026) Employment law reforms will pile thousands of extra cases onto an already stretched tribunal system, government analysis has revealed. The Employment Rights Act, which received royal assent last month, reduces the qualifying period of employment for eligibility to make an unfair dismissal claim from two years to six months. The […]
Wishing you all a joyful festive season and a Happy New Year from Team MT UK.
Two magistrates sanctioned over separate car park incidents
By Bianca Castro >> (15 August 2025) Two magistrates have been sanctioned for misconduct over separate car park issues – one of which led to an altercation and the other to a court session being interrupted. Magistrate Shirley Holmes, who said she was ‘provoked’ during an argument in a supermarket car park, was issued with a formal warning […]
Reading Crown Court tests fast-track case pilot
By Charlie Moloney >> (1 August 2025) A fast-track trial pilot is under way at the Crown court in Reading to try and expedite cases which are most likely to crack, after the backlog of cases reached a 25-year high last month. The Gazette understands the initiative will see certain short bail cases, for which evidence […]
