Sir Geoffrey Vos retired from the judiciary as Master of the Rolls on Friday, with the King having approved Sir Colin Birss as his successor. On Thursday a Civil Justice Council working group recommended that the CJC and the Civil Procedure Rule Committee urgently consider how litigants in person may use AI in civil proceedings.
Mrs Justice Joanna Smith will run the Business and Property Division on an interim basis from 1 November, and on 21 October the government set closing dates for two Horizon redress schemes.
Courts
CJC working group presses for guidance on litigants in person and AI. The group, co-chaired by Birss and Smith, published its final report on Thursday. Recommendation Two says the CJC should consider the approach for litigants in person as a matter of urgency, and Recommendation Three asks the CPRC to codify the case law on AI misuse in a Practice Direction.
For legal professionals it recommends no new AI-specific declaration for statements of case or skeleton arguments, but proposes new declarations for witnesses of fact and for expert evidence. Full report
Black cab drivers’ claim against Uber is time-barred. In Garry White and others v Uber London Limited and others [2026] EWHC 2651 (Comm), handed down on 19 October, Mr Justice Birt held that nearly 13,300 drivers could with reasonable diligence have discovered the alleged fraud by February 2018. Section 32 of the Limitation Act 1980 therefore did not save the claim. Uber denies the allegations. Full report
Government and Parliament
Horizon claimants get independent review routes. A written statement on 21 October said postmasters whose Horizon Shortfall Scheme claims are rejected or settled at the £75,000 fixed sum will have an independent assessor review their case. More than £1.7bn has been paid to over 14,000 claimants. The Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme closes to new submissions from 31 July 2027 and the Capture Redress Scheme from 31 March 2027. The appeals process is expected to launch in November. Full report
Appointments
Birss succeeds Vos as Master of the Rolls. Vos retired after five years in the post, having served as Chancellor of the High Court from 2016. Birss, currently Chancellor of the High Court, was Lead Judge for Artificial Intelligence from 2023. Full report
Smith to lead the Business and Property Division on an interim basis. The Lady Chief Justice appointed her interim Deputy President from 1 November, until a new President is appointed. The Division came into effect on 1 October and replaces the Chancery Division. Full report
Lord Justice Coulson retires. Sir Peter Coulson retired from the Court of Appeal on 13 October after more than eight years on the court. He was previously Judge in Charge of the Technology and Construction Court and Deputy Head of Civil Justice. Full report
Judge George becomes Designated Civil Judge for Surrey and Sussex. Her four-year term began on 22 October, the day Judge Simpkiss retired as a Senior Circuit Judge. He had held the Surrey and Sussex post from 2023. Full report
Stephenson Harwood names Linforth chief executive. The firm announced on 14 October that its global head of banking and finance succeeds Eifion Morris on 1 January 2027. The firm is in exclusive merger talks with Taylor Wessing. Full report
Mills & Reeve hires Peter Mayhew. The firm announced on 20 October that the Shakespeare Martineau partner joins its Birmingham venture capital team. He specialises in VCT, EIS and SEIS investment. Full report
Deals
CBRE to buy Onnec. Freshfields advises Onnec and Simpson Thacher advises CBRE on the initial £460m cash price, with an earnout of up to £300m. Completion is expected around the end of the year. Full report
easyJet sets its Apollo scheme vote. Shareholders vote on 11 November on the £7.15 a share cash offer valuing easyJet at about £5.7bn. Clifford Chance advises easyJet and Paul, Weiss advises the bidder. The sanction hearing is expected before the end of the first quarter of 2027. Full report
International
Federal court vacates CMS definition of medically frail. On Thursday Judge Stearns held the definition in the Medicaid work requirements rule unlawful in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v Oz, vacated it and granted a six-month stay. The work requirement still begins on 1 January 2027. Full report
Nineteen attorneys general back assault weapons laws. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the US Supreme Court on Wednesday in Viramontes v County of Cook, arguing the Connecticut and Cook County laws are consistent with the Second Amendment. Full report
Fifth Circuit orders reassignment after AI errors. In an opinion filed on 22 October, the court vacated an injunction against Mississippi’s DEI law and ordered the case moved to a different judge. It cited a non-existent case it called an apparent AI hallucination. Full report
California settles 23andMe claims. The $6m settlement, announced on 19 October, resolves the state’s data breach suit and its appeals over the sale of genetic data. It is pending court approval. Full report
Explainers and analysis
Interest on costs for CFA-funded claimants. In Municipio de Mariana v BHP [2026] EWCA Civ 1319, handed down on 16 October, the Court of Appeal upheld pre-judgment interest on costs under CPR 44.2(6)(g) in the Fundão Dam claim. Judgment explained
Transferred loss. In Forthwell v Pontegadea [2026] UKSC 33, handed down on 17 September, the Supreme Court held a parent company cannot recover its subsidiary’s lost profits as transferred loss. Judgment explained
Litigation funding after PACCAR. The 2023 Supreme Court decision still governs third-party funding in England and Wales. No bill to reverse it is before Parliament. Explainer
Leasehold reform. Only part of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 is in force, and no commencement regulations have been made since 6 February 2025. Explainer