All Law Gazette articles in Archive – Page 1390
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Consumer panel wants lawyers to undergo ‘regular MOT’
Lawyers would have to demonstrate at regular intervals that they are competent to practise under radical proposals from consumer watchdogs for beefing up quality. The Legal Services Consumer Panel has today called for the introduction of ‘periodic validation’ – a review of permission to practise after a fixed time – ...
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Court security is ‘over the top’
I would like to highlight a new danger associated with my job that I had not previously considered. While airport security measures are likely to be relaxed, magistrates’ courts seem to be adding extra layers to their security procedures. While attending our local court last week, I emptied my pockets, ...
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Employment
Automatically unfair dismissal – Disciplinary procedures – Redundancy Douglas Cartwright v King’s College London: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justices Sedley, Rimer, Patten): 27 October 2010 The appellant former employee (C) ...
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Family law
Ancillary relief – Financial provision orders – Fresh evidence Erik Maurice William Robson v Chloe Annabel Robson: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justices Ward, Hughes, Patten): 27 October 2010 The appellant ...
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QualitySolicitors opens first ‘legal store’
National legal services brand QualitySolicitors today launched its first ‘legal store’ in a shopping centre in London, offering ‘instant wills while you shop’, and late evening and weekend opening. QualitySolicitors Freeman Harris, based in the Lewisham Shopping Centre, is one of 54 new franchises opened by ...
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Orwell and good
As Christmas approaches, some of you may have started thinking about what to buy for those awkward friends and relations. If these include members of the judiciary (and they can be awkward), the perfect gift idea could be a copy of George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language. ...
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History lesson
Jeff Skidmore, a partner at Roy Thomas Begley & Co in Swansea, writes in to point out an error in last week’s item by James Morton about Ewen Montagu. The latter was indeed mastermind of 'The Man Who Never Was', but the deception plan was carried out in the Mediterranean ...
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Human rights
Criminal procedure – Admissibility – Police interviews Cadder v HM Advocate: SC (Lords Hope (deputy president), Rodger, Walker, Brown, Mance, Kerr, Sir John Dyson): 26 October 2010
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Memory lane
Law Society’s Gazette, October 1990 Lightening up on ‘legaldeegook’How many words does it take to tell someone that a house is ready for occupancy? Seventy-eight if you’re ...
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Pre-nups – now worth the paper they're written on
The long-awaited decision of the Supreme Court in Radmacher (formerly Granatino) v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42 is a significant step in the recognition of pre- and post-nuptial agreements. The starting point is that parties should be held to properly drawn up agreements unless certain circumstances arise.
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Solicitors ‘not doing enough’ to market themselves as ABSs approach
Nine out of ten solicitors think they are not doing enough to promote their businesses in the face of forthcoming competition from alternative business structures, research seen exclusively by the Gazette has suggested. A survey of 330 solicitors by law firm referral service Contact Law found ...
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New solutions should deliver access to justice
by Robert Bourns, senior partner at national law firm TLT Those charged with promoting regulatory change – the government, the Legal Services Board, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and other regulators - are clear that access to justice is not only a primary regulatory objective but also ...
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Chinese human rights and the one that got away
The Chinese authorities have begun deploying a ‘softer type of violence’ against dissidents. That’s the good news told to me by Professor Fu Hauling, head of the University of Hong Kong’s law faculty. ...
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SJ Berwin drops merger plans with US firm
City firm SJ Berwin and US firm Proskauer Rose have decided against a merger, the firms announced today in a statement. ‘At this stage in our discussions, we recognised that the timetable necessary to reach the agreements that would ensure the successful integration of our firms ...
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LSC extends family contracts
The Legal Services Commission has today extended the present family and combined family/housing legal aid contracts until 30 November next year. The contracts had previously been extended until 14 December 2010. The LSC said the additional extension of almost a year ...
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SRA to launch ‘strategic review’ of training
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to undertake an ‘independent, strategic review’ of education and training, in collaboration with the Bar Standards Board and the Institute of Legal Executives. The three regulators will form a joint ‘review group’ to inform the research, which will be a wide ...
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Increase alcohol tax to fund legal aid, says Law Society
The government should increase tax on alcohol to fund legal aid, in recognition of the extent to which criminal behaviour results from alcohol abuse, the Law Society has suggested. In a report to be published today reflecting the findings of the Society’s Access to Justice Review, ...
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Government unveils overhaul of legal aid and civil litigation costs
Legal aid providers as a whole will see their income slashed by up to £154m annually, it emerged today, as the government unveiled its plans for reform of the system. A wide range of civil cases will no longer be eligible for legal aid, and fees ...
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House of Lords’ unsung battles for EU democracy
One of the constant accusations made against the EU – it was made in a comment to my blog last week – is that there is a democratic deficit. I accept the claim; it is undeniable. But it is also an accusation from within a UK glasshouse, since many of ...
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Research reveals widening social divide in the profession
More than one in seven lawyers come from private schools, despite just one in 50 of the population receiving private education, new research has suggested. While 93% of the population are state educated, only 85% of lawyers went to non-public schools, according to an analysis of ...