All Law Gazette articles in Archive – Page 1189
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News
Beyond price
I’m delighted to report that the Law Society’s Excellence Awards were a tremendous success. Old Billingsgate, overlooking the Thames, made for a spectacular venue and Kirsty Wark from BBC2’s Newsnight was a great host. This year saw a record number of entries, and the awards are now widely considered to ...
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Boris rapped over legal snub
The Mayor of London’s decision not to invite City lawyers on to his high-level economic crisis group has drawn criticism from the City of London Law Society. The new group, which is tasked with helping London through the downturn, will meet regularly to discuss the effects ...
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Referral rule breaches widespread
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to reconsider the controversial question of referral arrangements as new figures show that the number of firms not complying with rules governing referrals remains stubbornly high. The SRA also expressed fears that the current economic climate might encourage practitioners to cut further corners.
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Bubble economy
At this time of economic meltdown, it is fitting that solicitors should be using their downtime creatively. To that end, we offer you the opening paragraphs of a new surreal novel by valued Gazette contributor, Anna Gramm. If you look ...
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'Snowy peaks' charge
Sir Ken Macdonald QC has made an outspoken attack on the criminal justice system for failing to recruit enough black and minority ethnic (BME) staff. In his final official speech as Director of Public Prosecutions, Macdonald (pictured) called on other parts of the justice system to ...
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Defendants value solicitor choice
A choice of solicitor is important to nine out of ten criminal defendants, according to a government-sponsored study published this week. Users perspectives of defence services in the criminal justice system also says that one-third of defendants at police ...
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Firm closures increase
Latest figures from the Solicitors Regulation Authority show the number of law firm closures month-by-month since January 2005. As shown by the spike in the green line, September this year was the worst month by far, with 375 firms closing – nearly 40% higher than the September average for the ...
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Local government: a new code of conduct
Pity the poor Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct Order) 2007 – the 18-month-old toddler, currently scampering innocently around local and police authority floors, has been given a proposed sentence of death by the government.
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Constitutional law
Abuse of power – Changos Islands – Colonial legislation – Legitimate expectation – Prerogative powers R (on the application of Louis Olivier Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: HL (Lord Hoffmann, Lord Bingham of Cornhill, ...
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Social welfare contract threat
Specialist firms could be lost to legal aid under government proposals for a single social welfare contract, practitioners have warned. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) last week began a consultation on a new procurement model for civil legal aid services. From 2010, the commission plans to ...
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Society to vote on Council size
Law Society Council representatives are to put their heads on the block to decide the future size of the body. After more than a year of investigations into the structure of the Council, a vote will be taken at next week’s Council meeting. A consultation ...
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Lawyers warned of individual fines
Solicitors responsible for their firms’ anti-money laundering systems will now risk being personally fined if they do not have adequate procedures in place, experts have warned. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) last week levied its first fine on a business money laundering reporting officer (MLRO). If ...
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Human rights
Immigration – Human rights – Asylum seekers – Children – Removal EM (Lebanon) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: HL (Lord Hope of Craighead, Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Baroness Hale of Richmond, Lord Carswell, Lord Brown ...
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Independence and the vote
Your editorial (30 October 2008) on the result of the recent postal ballot reads like an extension of the Law Society’s publicity machine. It is disappointing that you do not seem to have applied independent thought to the issue. Even worse, you have ignored the fact that a two-thirds majority ...
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Internet property plea
The Law Society should be the ‘pathfinder’ in developing systems to computerise the process of buying and selling properties, the chairman of the Society’s conveyancing and land law committee said last week. Richard Barnett, who is also senior partner at volume firm Barnetts, told the ...
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Newspapers plan legal referral services
The Daily Telegraph and another national newspaper are to launch their own legal referrals services. The newspapers have tied or are about to tie deals with legal referrals company Contact Law to offer the company's service under their branding. ...
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New years resolution
From April 2009, a new Acas code of practice on discipline and grievances – and a supplementary, non-statutory Acas guide – will replace the 2004 statutory dispute resolution procedures.
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Playing by the rules
At a time of growing financial hardship, solicitors need access to as many legitimate channels of income as possible. A fortnight ago this column observed that few subjects in the Gazette’s ambit generate such impassioned opinions as regulation. One that certainly does is referral fees. ...
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Mixed half-year results picture
Big UK firms have endured mixed fortunes so far this year, with the half-year revenue estimates released so far showing large variations in growth. At the top end of growth, City firm Trowers & Hamlins estimated fee income up 16% to £42m for the first half ...