All articles by Catherine Baksi – Page 39
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News
Chancery Lane warns of ‘two-tier’ will system
A two-tier system for regulating will-writing could confuse consumers and lead to a drop in standards, the Law Society has warned. The Society has welcomed the Legal Services Board’s recommendation that will-writing, estate administration and probate should be regulated. But Chancery Lane is concerned that the ...
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Time limit for care cases ‘impractical’
Family law groups have warned that the government's plan to impose a 26-week time limit for courts to conclude care cases is impractical in most cases and constitutes ‘potentially unlawful interference with judicial discretion’. Giving evidence to the justice committee, the Law Society, Family Law Bar ...
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Legal challenge over custody rights of 17-year-olds
A children’s charity has been given permission to challenge the legality of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act code of practice and the failure of government and police to provide adequate support and protection to 17-year-olds in police custody. The High Court granted permission yesterday for ...
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New York offices reopen post-Sandy
New York lawyers are back at work after the city’s battering last week by ‘superstorm’ Sandy. Some firms were forced to close after the storm left offices and homes without power and caused staff to be evacuated from their homes or stranded without public transport. Clifford ...
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Let him be crucified
The justice secretary’s order of an ‘immediate review’ of legal aid bodes ill for the way funding decisions will be made once the Ministry of Justice takes the Legal Services Commission in-house.
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Law centres ponder structure switch
Law centres are exploring a range of new business models to survive – but few are likely to take the alternative business structure route, the director of the centres’ umbrella body said this week. Julie Bishop, director of the Law Centres Network (formerly the ...
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Pro bono hours dip as cuts loom
The average amount of pro bono work undertaken by solicitors has fallen by nearly 15% over the past year, according to a Law Society survey published today. Although Chancery Lane says the decline reflects a narrower definition than that used in previous polls, the trend will renew fears about access ...
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Society steps in over Hamza legal aid row
The Law Society has offered to work with the government to increase public understanding and confidence in legal aid after the justice minister announced an ‘immediate examination’ of the system following the Abu Hamza extradition case. Chris Grayling ordered the review yesterday after it emerged ...
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APIL slams £500k ‘token gesture’ crime victim fund
The government is to push through cuts of £50m from compensation to crime victims - but will provide a £500,000 hardship fund to help some victims excluded under the reform. Lawyers denounced the measure as ‘a token gesture’. Justice minister Helen Grant told parliament last week ...
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‘No guarantees’ RTA Portal will be ready for new role
The operator of the RTA Portal has said there are ‘no guarantees’ that changes needed to extend the claims system’s scope will be completed by the government’s April 2013 implementation date. Changes to the electronic claims system are being made to meet the Ministry of Justice’s ...
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PC renewal system working ‘quite well’ after initial bug
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has admitted that a software bug caused the ‘volume issues’ that prevented some solicitors from renewing their practising certificates through the mySRA website last week. The regulator said that the problem had been resolved and that extra capacity will be added to ...
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Private equity fund takes stake in Keoghs
Regional firm Keoghs has secured a ‘significant investment’ from a private equity investor following approval as an alternative business structure this week. Mayfair-based LDC, part of the Lloyds Banking Group, is to buy a 22.5% share in the firm in a deal that will formally complete ...
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‘Please try again later’ SRA tells online renewal applicants
The Solicitors Regulation Authority says it is working to address ‘volume issues’ experienced by some solicitors trying to renew their practising certificates through the mySRA website. This year’s registration process began only yesterday, but some solicitors have already reported to the Gazette that the website is ...
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SRA ‘confident’ over PC renewals
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has expressed ‘confidence’ that this year’s practising certificate renewal season, which began today, will pass more smoothly than last year’s troubled process. 2011 was the first year that the SRA attempted online renewal and payments, through its mySRA portal. Well-publicised difficulties with ...
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Divorce ruling branded ‘cheat’s charter’
Lawyers have branded as a ‘cheat’s charter’ a Court of Appeal landmark ruling that an oil tycoon need not hand over to his wife £17.5m in assets held by his companies. In Petrodel Resources Ltd & Ors v Prest & Ors [2012] EWCA Civ 1395 the ...
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Lyons Davidson looks to capitalise on ABS status
Lyons Davidson has been granted alternative business structure (ABS) status, which the national firm hopes will help it capitalise on changes in the UK legal market. Managing director Mark Savill told the Gazette that the move is key to its strategic relationship with insurers in preparation ...
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London care pilot to make £1m saving
A pilot to speed up care cases has more than halved the time taken to resolve matters and is on track to save the public purse £1m a year. In April, three London boroughs – Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham – began ...
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Leniency for legal whistleblowers
Whistleblowers involved in misconduct will face more lenient penalties under proposals being considered by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The regulator today launched a consultation on the introduction of co-operation agreements, under which solicitors who may have been involved in misconduct or failed to report it, but ...
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Applied founder blames ‘intimidation’ for court interpreter debacle
The founder of the company at the centre of the court interpreting debacle today blamed ‘intimidation’ and ‘quite horrendous’ threats by interpreters boycotting his company for its failure to meet targets.
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Grayling promises clampdown on unrecovered legal aid
Wealthy defendants will have their cars seized and sold under a government plan to claw back £10m a year in contributions to legal aid. Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, will today publish a consultation on measures to ensure defendants co-operate with means testing and make ...