All Law Gazette articles in Archive – Page 1248
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Practitioners divided over implications of trial without jury
Criminal practitioners are divided over the implications of the Court of Appeal’s decision to allow a judge alone to hear the retrial of a robbery case. Last week the lord chief justice ruled that the risk of jury tampering was sufficient to allow the trial of ...
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Tribunals in Wales face major shake-up
Tribunals in Wales face substantial reform after their supervisory body found them lacking in independence, openness, impartiality and efficiency.
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SharePoint learns to love Firefox and Outlook
Most supplier conferences about their technology are not, let’s be honest, fun. They can often be interesting, however, and one I went to this week on Microsoft’s SharePoint document management/collaboration/etc business software was exactly that. It’s a technology which – once Microsoft has shaken out some obvious problems with it ...
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Local government
Torts – Emergency powers – Interference with goods – Local authorities’ powers and duties Infolines Public Networks Ltd v Nottingham City Council: CA (Civ Div) (Sir Andrew Morritt [Chancellor], Lords Justice Keene, Elias): 11 June 2009 ...
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Local government
Education – Home tuition – Special educational needs – Statements – Local authority’s obligations R (on the application of TM) v Hounslow London Borough Council: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Thomas, Aikens, Patten): 11 June 2009 ...
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Tributes paid to solicitor-judge Henry Hodge
The lord chief justice has led tributes to Sir Henry Hodge, one of the first solicitors to become a High Court judge, who died last week aged 65. Lord Judge said that Hodge had been ‘an outstanding president of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, a ...
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HIP search myth
While applauding the caution that Mark Williams advocates regarding ‘cut-price HIPs’ (see [2009] Gazette, 18 June, 13), it is important that the old but popular myth about personal search is reviewed.
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Human rights
Closed material – Disclosure – Non-derogating control orders – Right to fair trial – Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 Secretary of State for the Home Department (appellant) v (1) AF (2) AM (3) AN (respondents): AE (appellant) v Secretary ...
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Telling it like it isn’t
Cynics would say that ‘politics’ and ‘u-turn’ have been mutual friends for centuries. Obiter prefers to recall the (attributed) words of John Maynard Keynes: ‘When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?’ Whatever. But with a general ...
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Memory lane
The Law Society's position on price control, a note on China's politics and changing relations between solicitors. The Law Society’s Gazette, 30 June 1999 ...
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Too much too late
Obiter is no expert on the public finances, but here’s a helpful suggestion for the next time the Treasury comes looking for economies at the Ministry of Justice. It’s called: pay your bills on time. Answering a question from Conservative MP Philip Hammond, ...
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LSC makes adjustments to civil contract proposals following concerns
The Legal Services Commission said it had ‘taken on board’ concerns from the profession in amendments it announced yesterday to its final proposals for the new civil contract and bid round. The tendering process for the three-year contracts will begin in September. It will be run ...
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Society backs FSA move on high deposits
The Law Society has welcomed the Financial Services Authority’s proposal to provide extra protection for holders of temporary high deposit balances in the event of a failure of a UK bank. The current maximum deposit protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme is £50,000 per individual, ...
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Clifford Chance posts sharp drop in profits
Magic circle firm Clifford Chance today reported a sharp fall in profit per equity partner (PEP) on top of declining revenues. PEP for the year to 30 April 2009 was down 37% on 2007/08, falling from £1.15m to £733,000. Revenues fell 5%, from £1.33bn in 2008 ...
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MoJ to crack down on contingency fees
The government is seeking a new power to regulate contingency fees – which is likely to include a percentage cap - in a bill tabled today. A new clause in the Coroners and Justice Bill introduced into the House of Lords today will provide the statutory ...
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Society proposes conveyancing shake-up
A chain matrix-style online portal and an updated conveyancing protocol are among measures outlined in a Law Society consultation published today to improve the home-buying and selling process. The electronic conveyancing portal will enable parties to track the progress of their transaction. Unlike the scheme trialled ...
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Are you getting a good reception?
Musing on Rupert White’s recent blog about the legal lunch hour, I couldn’t help wondering about the number of examples of poor reception (on the phone or in person) that I have come across among law firms. Or is it simply that no one really manages the reception experience?
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Are lawyers more like opticians or pharmacists?
We have read that Chris Kenny, chief executive of the Legal Services Board, thinks that the £20m it will take to set up the LSB is not a ‘real issue’ – presumably just small change. Well, I hope that he keeps a penny or two out of it to pay ...
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SRA takes on new powers to issue £2,000 fine for low-level misconduct
Solicitors could face a fine of up to £2,000 and a published rebuke for low-level professional misconduct under new rules which will come into force in August. The Solicitors Regulation Authority has adopted powers to issue written rebukes and impose a fine where it considers there ...
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Ashurst partner pay falls below £1m
Partner pay at City firm Ashurst has plunged below the £1m mark, after the firm today reported a 35% fall in profits. Profits per equity partner fell from £1.04m in 2007/08 to £673,000 in the year to 30 April 2009. Revenues fell 7%, from £323m to ...