All articles by Jonathan Goldsmith
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OpinionWhat did the European Court of Human Rights do in 2024?
A summary of last year's key cases from the ECtHR.
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OpinionMy prescient prediction for 2025
President-elect Trump and his court are influencing the political weather, including on our own laws and legal system.
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OpinionLawyers being targeted for their clients
Attacks on solicitors point to a future where they are the route to the client and are to be punished for the client’s actions.
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OpinionLawyers and climate - latest
As lawyers, we should follow climate-related developments. As citizens, we must make up our own minds as to how to act.
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OpinionA tale of two professions: Why we need another Dickens
Recent parliamentary events have led me to long for a new Charles Dickens to bring alive the extremes of our legal system.
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OpinionMore regulation is no longer the answer
The more that someone is regulated, the less responsibility that person takes for decisions, on the basis that what is not against the rules can be done.
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OpinionEnsuring the regulator is properly regulated
The SRA is in danger of losing the trust and confidence of the entire profession. How can proper regulation take place in such circumstances?
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OpinionTrump, ESG and lawyers
A first take on how a Trump presidency may affect lawyers’ work, including here in the UK.
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OpinionDoing the right thing
What happens if a regulator which has been publicly exposed does not respond in the way in which it expects those whom it regulates to behave?
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OpinionIs it time to turn luddite against legal AI?
Panglosses of the legal world may continue singing that AI is the best in the best of all possible worlds. But their happy song does not take into account its other side.
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OpinionHow do we fare comparatively in justice?
Statistics should be taken with a pinch of salt given the different backgrounds of countries surveyed in an evaluation on European judicial systems. Nevertheless, they provide some telling truths.
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OpinionAct now before truth and falsehood merge
Conspiracy theories and false allegations are used to shore up beliefs against reality breaking in. AI has arrived with perfect timing to hinder us further in telling truth from falsehood.
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OpinionIs there a right to consult a lawyer for non-contentious legal advice?
There is a tradition among continental bars, much stronger than here in the UK, to challenge in the courts new legislation or regulations with which they do not agree.
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OpinionThumbs down to annual international legal conferences
The model of international legal organisations, often dependent financially on one or more large international in-person meetings, is not sustainable for much longer.
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OpinionPatrick Finucane: a public inquiry at last
We look foolish when we as lawyers preach to other countries to investigate the murders and abuse of their lawyers, if we don’t keep to similar high standards ourselves.
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OpinionOn our guard against AI legal imperialism
I salute America for being the brains and power behind AI. But in myriad ways, our legal world is likely to become more Americanised.
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OpinionThe law’s busy summer
The law has not taken a holiday, but has gone into the office every day.
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OpinionThe consequences of the riots for lawyers
Some significant changes for the legal profession are becoming apparent only now.
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OpinionPeaceful climate protest: a headache for Labour
Were the Just Stop Oil activists who were recently sentenced to four and five years in prison justly or unjustly convicted and sentenced?