Submissions are invited for this special issue edited by Renata Grossi, Eve Hanan, Alessandra Minissale, Cecilia Nordquist and Kate Rossmanith.

Please see announcement for details.

Closing date: 5 November 2026.

In 'Academic writing under the UK’s Research Excellence Framework', Colin Murray tackles the thorny subject of the REF, summarising the 'rules of the game', decoding the jargon and analysing how this recurring exercise is affecting academic workloads and influencing how academics manage their research and approach the task of writing it up.

In 'What writing is for: bot loops and the limits of automated text', Barbara Prainsack examines two kinds of 'bot loops' and analyses how the use of AI as an aid to writing can render some communications not only problematic but even harmful because academic writing is 'an exercise in demonstrating something about the writer that cannot be evidenced by anyone or anything else on their behalf'.

In ' Why reflect upon how we write?', Kunal Parke goes back to basics by asking: 'why reflect upon how we write?' He answers by examining the pursuit of originality, the 'many perfectly ordinary reasons' for writing, and three reasons why we should think and write about it.

In 'The write stuff', David Archard offers his thoughts on the pros and cons of writing alone or with others, navigating the perils of getting published, and the careful selection of subject matter, while simultaneously avoiding being caught out by the 'so what?' standard of writing. 

The Journal of Personal Injury Law (JPIL), published quarterly by Sweet & Maxwell, is now a refereed law journal. In addition, the journal has a new editorial team, consisting of Prof. Rachael Mulheron KC (Hon) FBA (General Editor), Brett Dixon and John McQuater (who continue as Casenote Editors); Masood Ahmed (Book Reviews Editor), and Mila Harding (Associate Editor). Under its new-look format, JPIL will continue to deliver cutting-edge, topical and useful legal scholarship in all areas of personal injury. Contributions may fall into any of the following categories: articles, long articles (> 10,000 words), opinion pieces and review essays, book reviews, commemorative articles of significant anniversary events whether of cases or of key legislation, as well as the ever-popular case commentaries. The Editors warmly welcome contributions from the judiciary, from academic scholars, from legal professionals, and from all who are involved in the field of personal injury. Contributions may cover litigation-related topics; ‘black letter’ law and remedies; procedural matters relevant to personal injury litigation; law reform issues; historical developments; critiques of government reports; and the like. Contributions which deal with the jurisprudence of another jurisdiction are also welcomed, provided that there is some comparative perspective which is UK-related.

See website for details or email editors.jpil@apil.org.uk.

The Nuffield Foundation has published three new reports on aspects of the legal system:

• Transforming Justice: The Interplay of Social Change and Policy Reforms – What Is Driving Increases in Tribunal Backlogs? by Luca Rizzotti & Joe Tomlinson

• Children and Policing in England and Wales: Adopting a Child First Approach by Vicky Kemp, Miranda Bevan & Hope Kent

• (Mis)trusting Justice? Personal Stories of Legal Proceedings in the Family and Criminal Courts by Revolving Doors & the Institute of Crime & Justice Policy Research, Birkbeck University of London