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

This report by Anna Tsalapatanis, Janice Tripney, Dr Mark Newman, Carol Vigurs and Karen Nokes, looks at public users’ experiences and views of the justice system, as well as interventions to improve these experiences.

This open access article was published earlier this year in Educational Review and examines how diversity and inclusion initiatives in UK legal academia can become performative where they do not redistribute power, protect marginalised staff, or address institutional practices that undermine equality. It develops the concept of 'performative diversity' to analyse the gap between symbolic inclusion and substantive institutional change in law schools.

The report, with a foreword by Mark Evans, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, is based on a survey of over 530 women working across law firms, chambers, and in-house legal teams in England and Wales. The findings are clear, consistent, and concerning.

The Sentencing Council has published its Annual Report for 2025/2026, and a public consultation on its Strategic Objectives for the next three years.

The consultation closes on 30 October 2026.

In the latest article in this series, 'Writing – écriture', Peter Goodrich, Cardozo School of Law, New York, reflects on how using ignorance or non-knowledge as a starting point for developing ideas can lead to an ‘indefinable, incalculable moment of decision’ when a topic or theme takes shape, ’words flow’ and ‘freely chosen’ sentences ‘suddenly’ arrive!

In the journal’s 90th anniversary year, the Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly will be

published by Cambridge University Press. From January 2027, all content will be gathered in the same place for the first time and freely available. Editorial control remains in Belfast. The Editorial Board invites submissions for publication, initially on a ‘first view’ basis, for volumes 78 & 79. Proposals for special issues are also welcome.

See flyer for full details.