Judicial Immunity: an Update

A decision in Australia in August 2023 held that a family court judge at first instance had no judicial immunity when taking a decision outside his power and distinctive family court jurisdiction and was liable in damages to one of the parties. I wrote an extensive article and commentary for the Financial Remedy Journal. The case has now gone to appeal to Australia’s highest court, and it has been held that the previous decision was wrong and the judge and others acting on his orders do have immunity. This important decision may well be followed in other common law jurisdictions. This summarises the position.

• Blog

• Judicial Immunity

• Professor David Hodson OBE KC(Hons) MCIArb

!06/05/2025 07:00

Legal Research, AI and the Canary in the Mineshaft

One of the sobering experiences of training to be a lawyer – the dawning realisation that it isn’t all dramatic cross-examination and fighting for the underdog – is legal research. Like learning a new language (let’s say, German), it’s a long and often tedious process. Some trainees, admittedly, seem to enjoy the tedium more than others. I was firmly in the ‘not enjoying this tedium’ camp.

• Blog

• AI

• Alexander Chandler KC

!09/05/2025 09:04

BR v BR [2025] EWFC 884 April 2025

Peel J. Final Hearing in Ultra High Net Worth FR case involving valuations of complex business structures.

• Cases

• Sharing Principle
• Company Valuations
• Wells Sharing
• Experts
• Companies
• Costs
• Valuations

• Minahil Tariq

James v Seymour: The Calculator

As helpfully summarised by Calum Smith on the FRJ website Mostyn J’s judgment in James v Seymour [2023] EWHC 844 (Fam) 675 included a renewed attempt to tackle how Child Maintenance should be calculated, effectively refining the methodology first se…

• Blog

• Child Maintenance

• Dom Christophers

!29/05/2023 08:00

Apportioning Pension Assets to the Marital Period in Divorce

Dividing pension assets is critical for a fair divorce settlement. This summary focuses on pension sharing, the legal splitting of pension rights between divorcing parties via a Pension Sharing Order, applicable in England and Wales.

• Blog

• Pensions

• Paul Windle

!01/05/2025 13:00