All articles by Catherine Baksi – Page 59
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News
Advocacy accreditation scheme back on track
Plans to introduce the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) are back on track. The Ministry of Justice and Legal Services Commission yesterday confirmed that Crown court advocacy fees for publicly funded criminal cases will not be linked to the level of accreditation gained under the new scheme.
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High Court hears LSC contracts challenge
The High Court has heard a legal challenge against the Legal Services Commission’s decision not to award a contract to a community care solicitor. Yvonne Hossack (pictured), a sole practitioner at Kettering firm Hossacks, sought a judicial review after she failed to win any contracts in ...
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Chancery Lane launches action over committal fee reforms
The Law Society has launched a legal challenge against the government over criminal legal aid fees. Chancery Lane has sent a letter before action to the Ministry of Justice over its decision to abolish the committal fee in either way cases in publicly funded criminal ...
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Criminal justice system ‘wasteful’, says Law Society report
Better procedures and improved communication between prosecution and defence could reduce delays and waste in the criminal justice system, according to a Law Society report. The paper, published today, proposes various measures to improve efficiency in the criminal justice system, in particular through the use of ...
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Ireland set to embrace ‘Tesco Law’
The Republic of Ireland is planning to liberalise its legal services market, with the government there poised to publish a bill introducing Clementi-style reforms. The Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011, expected within the next week, will seek to establish independent regulation of the Irish legal professions; ...
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Many law firms remain ‘reluctant’ to outsource
Outsourcing is ‘key’ to the survival of many UK law firms, but a lot of them are failing to act, according to a new survey. The poll of 169 firms showed that 77% believe outsourcing business processes would help them compete against big brands entering the ...
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Advocacy assurance scheme ‘halted’, declares criminal bar
Plans to introduce the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) have run into serious difficulties, it has emerged. The Criminal Bar Association appears to have withdrawn its engagement with the controversial accreditation scheme amid a dispute about linking payment to accreditation level. In an email to ...
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Leading QC: judicial system discriminates against white men
Many people now perversely believe the judicial and QC appointment systems discriminate against white men, according to a leading silk who is about to become a High Court judge. Interviewed by the Gazette, Rabinder Singh QC stressed that progress has been made over recent years to ...
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Death ‘inevitable’ if legal aid cuts go ahead
It is ‘inevitable’ that someone will die if the government proceeds with planned legal aid funding cuts for cases involving domestic violence, the Law Society has warned. Vice-president Lucy Scott-Moncrieff told a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool that the definition of domestic ...
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Survey: UK cheapest for international arbitration
The UK is the cheapest and most popular venue for international arbitration, according to an authoritative survey published this week. Some 74% of party costs in international arbitrations are accounted for by external legal costs, and external fees are 26% higher in the rest of Europe, ...
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High street should embrace ABSs, says regulator
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has urged high street firms to be proactive and take advantage of opportunities presented by alternative business structures. The regulator’s executive director of supervision, risks and standards, Samantha Barrass, said the SRA hopes to start registering ABSs in December. ...
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News
‘First credible framework’ to analyse legal market
The Legal Services Board today unveiled what it described as the ‘first credible framework’ to analyse the changing legal services market. Consultancy Oxera was commissioned to help the board evaluate the impact of the Legal Services Act 2007 and the LSB itself. Its approach considers the ...
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News
Chancery Lane criticises bar’s ‘special pleading’
The Law Society has voiced concern about the Criminal Bar Association’s intention to approach the judiciary with its fears about the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA). A Law Society spokesman said: ‘It is surprising that the bar should seek to involve the senior judiciary ...
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Greenwich law centre on the brink
Greenwich Community Law Centre is facing closure after the local council axed its funding. The London borough’s cabinet decided last week to discontinue an annual grant of nearly £200,000. Cash will instead be set aside for the provision of legal advice by Citizens Advice, Greenwich Housing ...
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News
Cohabitants should have scope for financial redress, says Chancery Lane
The Law Society has called for legislation to provide financial redress for cohabiting couples in the event of relationship breakdown. President John Wotton expressed disappointment at the government’s refusal to consider changing the law to protect cohabitants in the current parliamentary session. ...
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Barristers get green light to take ‘direct action’
The Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association believe it would be lawful for them to take direct action to protect members’ interests, it has emerged.
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Solicitors can take technology into police custody areas
Solicitors have been given permission to take mobile phones and laptop computers into police custody areas, under an agreement reached between the Law Society and Association of Chief Police Officers. New guidance adopted by all forces in England and Wales provides that: ‘Unless there is good ...
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New law franchise targets 600 firms
Another national law firm franchise formally launches today, designed to help firms compete against cut-price and ‘faceless’ providers which operate online and through call centres. Face2face solicitors, set up by solicitor Ray Gordon (pictured), is targeting smaller firms and startups, offering reduced overheads and ...
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News
Police ‘abusing’ bail rules
The police are abusing bail rules, the chairman of the Law Society’s criminal law committee has alleged. Richard Atkinson has called for evidence from solicitors of what he believes to be a worsening phenomenon. He said: ‘Practitioners have very real concerns that huge numbers of people ...
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Advocacy accreditation will be implemented ‘circuit by circuit’
The controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) will be implemented in stages, but there will be no pilot, it has emerged. A report to the Bar Standards Board indicated that consideration was being given to piloting of the scheme, which is due to ...