All articles by Catherine Baksi – Page 48
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News
Hudson: bar strike would ‘damage profession’
Strike action by the bar will damage the legal profession and the justice system, the Law Society’s chief executive Desmond Hudson has warned, after a survey showed that nine out of 10 criminal barristers are prepared to refuse work in protest over fee rates and reforms.
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Official statistics reveal ALS performance shortfall
Three months into its contract to provide court interpreters Applied Language Solutions (ALS) was not meeting its performance targets, statistics published today reveal. Data provided to the Ministry of Justice by ALS, showed that from 30 January to 30 April 2012, ALS provided an interpreter in 81% of the cases ...
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Co-op targets family legal aid - with loyalty points
Co-operative Legal Services (CLS) has a family legal aid contract and is already working on cases, ahead of the launch of its family law service in July, it revealed today. The news followed the announcement of the mutual’s plans to recruit 3,000 staff and expand its ...
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Solicitors must 'wake up and smell coffee' over advocacy scheme
All solicitors will need to sign up to the quality assurance scheme for advocates (QASA) to ensure their practices are not restricted, a leading solicitor-advocate warned this week as the Solicitors Regulation Authority approved the timetable for the controversial accreditation scheme.
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Call for ‘maturity of young adult' test in prosecution
Prosecutors should consider the maturity of a young adult as part of their public-interest test for prosecution, a report by lobbying coalition the Transition to Adulthood Alliance has suggested. The report, published this week, says that police and the Crown Prosecution Service should consider the ‘lack ...
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News
Going ‘no comment’: a delicate balancing act
Sam Hallam’s conviction for the murder of Essayas Kassahun was overturned last week by the Court of Appeal, after he had spent seven years in jail. Barrister Henry Blaxland QC said Hallam, who was 18 when sentenced, had been the victim of a miscarriage of justice ...
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Co-op goes nationwide with 3,000 new hires
The Co-operative Legal Services (CLS) today announced plans to recruit 3,000 staff and extend its legal services to all 330 of its high street banks, creating the largest consumer law business in the country. CLS, which in March became one of the first alternative business structures, ...
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News
Criminal bar unfurls strike banner
Nine out of 10 criminal barristers are prepared to take direct action in protest against low and late payments, a survey by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has revealed as their leader for the first time sanctions ‘strike’ action. CBA chair Max Hill QC will ...
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News
One out, all out
The warning by Criminal Bar Association chair Max Hill QC today that barristers are prepared to strike - backed by a survey showing near unanimous outrage - is a watershed moment. Hill notes barristers’ reluctance to use their ‘ultimate weapon’, namely ‘stopping the courts’, to make ...
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News
Pro bono no substitute for legal aid - Wotton
Lawyers need to do more to bridge the gaps in access to justice caused by legal aid reforms, the Law Society president told an international conference in Russia. However he stressed that pro bono work is no substitute for a properly funded legal aid system. John ...
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News
Criminal law solicitors' director: value of justice ‘deteriorating’
The ‘march of managerialism’ and a desire to speed up proceedings have led to a drop in the value put on justice by the government and society, according to the retiring director of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association. Rodney Warren (pictured) has announced that he will ...
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ALS interpreters contract facing renewed scrutiny
The deal between the Ministry of Justice and the private company contracted to provide court interpreters is to face scrutiny from parliamentary watchdogs, as cases continue to be disrupted by poor performance and non-attendance of interpreters.
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News
Stobart offers pay-as-you-go barristers - but no plans to be ABS
The logistics company known for its distinctive Eddie Stobart lorries has launched a legal service to help the public cut the cost of legal disputes by linking clients directly with barristers without the need for a solicitor.
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News
HSBC deal ends conveyancing panel dispute
Hundreds more firms will be able to work for HSBC mortgage clients and the bank after the lender agreed this week to expand its conveyancing panel to include all firms with the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) mark. The deal, announced today, follows a four-month campaign by the Law ...
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News
Complying with AML rules ‘upholds the profession’, symposium told
Transactional lawyers were reminded of the importance of complying with anti-money laundering regulations in order to ‘uphold the profession’.
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HSBC campaign targets bank’s AGM
Solicitors with HSBC shares have indicated that they will attend the bank’s annual general meeting next week to voice concerns over its conveyancing panel policy. The Law Society has set up an email address for solicitors considering attending so that they can be kept up to date with the Society’s ...
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News
Should solicitors help draw legal aid red lines?
How far should solicitors go to help the government formulate its criminal justice spending plans and what are the red lines that cannot be crossed when it comes to cuts? These were the questions underlying a thought-provoking speech given by the Law Society’s head of legal ...
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News
Judges will make QASA unworkable, says Kelcey
Judges will make the controversial quality assurance scheme for advocates ‘totally unworkable’ by refusing to engage with the assessment of candidates, a leading criminal solicitor-advocate has warned. Ian Kelcey, senior partner at Bristol firm Kelcey and Hall, told the Law Society’s criminal law conference last ...
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Cautious welcome for Children and Families Bill
Legislation heralded in the Queen’s speech to reduce delays in the family justice system needs to be matched with the resources to make it a reality, family lawyers have warned. Lawyers broadly welcomed the announcement of a Children and Families Bill, but cautioned that its measures ...
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News
Grieve spells out ‘modernise or die’ message to adversarial system
The adversarial criminal justice system will survive only if practitioners embrace modernisation, the attorney general warned solicitors last week. Dominic Grieve QC told the Law Society’s criminal law conference that he believed ‘passionately’ in the adversarial system, which ‘delivers qualitatively better outcomes’ than cheaper regimes. ...