All articles by Deven Pamben – Page 5
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News
Lord Hunt consults on regulation
Lord Hunt of Wirral will today call for evidence from the entire legal profession as part of his Law Society-commissioned review of regulation.
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Internet ‘first’ for solicitor searches
The internet is on the brink of overtaking traditional channels such as personal recommendations as a way of finding a solicitor to carry out a simple transaction, such as conveyancing or making a will, according to research published this week. The survey, carried out for ...
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Legal profession ‘snapshot’
An official quarterly report on the state of the legal profession is to be released for the first time this year, the Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed this week. The ‘snapshot’ will include the number of firms opening and closing and the number of solicitors practising ...
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SRA scraps solo fee hike
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has scrapped plans to charge sole practitioners an additional practising fee of £300. At a meeting of the SRA Board (see Gazette 18 December 2008), members indicated that a fee for sole practitioners should be less than the £180 payable by ...
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Bart-Stewart attacks JAC
The new chair of the Black Solicitors Network (BSN), Cordella Bart-Stewart, has launched a scathing attack on the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), calling for an independent review of appointment processes. Bart-Stewart has refused to take part in what she calls ‘marketing exercises’ such as JAC ...
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Banks urged to increase cashflow
Law firms of all sizes are asking banks to provide them with secure pipelines of cash as the economy continues to deteriorate. In the coming weeks, Law Society President Paul Marsh and chief executive Des Hudson are to meet top executives at retail banks as well as the chief executive ...
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Council lawyers 'in well-being denial'
Council lawyers have been told to change the way they work and become more entrepreneurial after research found many are not using a far-reaching legal power at their disposal. A four-year investigation carried out by the University of Birmingham, the Cities Research Centre and the University ...
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Duty prosecutors advice plea
Duty prosecutors should provide early legal advice to police officers so that weak cases can be stopped at an earlier stage, according to an inspection report of new charging arrangements. The finding comes from a joint review of charging arrangements by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution ...
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Law Commission to clear 'mess' over adult social care statutes
The first steps in rationalising a ‘confusing jumble of statutes’ governing adult social care were set out this week by the Law Commission. A scoping paper, expected to be approved by the Department of Health, proposes a single modern statute that can be understood by ...
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News
Legal services body director suspended
The director-elect of a pioneering shared legal services organisation has been suspended from his current role as head of legal and democratic services at Northamptonshire County Council. Chris Whittington was appointed director of Legal Services Lincolnshire (LSL) in October and is expected to take up his ...
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News
Baby P 'scapegoat' claim
Local government solicitors have defended colleagues at the London Borough of Haringey against press criticism of their role in the case of ‘Baby P’. Suzanne Bond, chair of Solicitors in Local Government, said that some media coverage of the case had been ‘chilling’ in ...
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Late surge boosts PC numbers
A late surge in applications for practising certificates over recent days has reversed an apparently startling decline in numbers. Latest figures from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) show 97,291 submissions as of 16 November – 477 more than at the same time last year. The previous ...
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Council members vote 'no' to a reduction in seats
Plans to reduce the size of the Law Society Council look to have been killed off following a members’ vote last week. Law Society chief executive Des Hudson predicted it will now be ‘some time’ before any future decision is made on the Council’s size ...
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Child care cost case fails
Councils have failed in their attempt to challenge increases in court fees for child care and placement applications. High Court judges last week dismissed a claim brought by four local authorities that the policy of ‘full cost recovery’ in family proceedings was unlawfully introduced. Since ...
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'Right to reject' goods at risk
Plans for a new European directive on consumer rights would place UK consumers in a weaker position, the Law Commission has warned. Commissioners said the Consumer Rights Directive could lead to the abolition of the ‘right to reject’ faulty goods for a refund within a reasonable ...
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News
'Snowy peaks' charge
Sir Ken Macdonald QC has made an outspoken attack on the criminal justice system for failing to recruit enough black and minority ethnic (BME) staff. In his final official speech as Director of Public Prosecutions, Macdonald (pictured) called on other parts of the justice system to ...
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News
Society to vote on Council size
Law Society Council representatives are to put their heads on the block to decide the future size of the body. After more than a year of investigations into the structure of the Council, a vote will be taken at next week’s Council meeting. A consultation ...
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News
Members reject Law Society affiliate plan
Members have rejected changes to the Law Society model that included creating an affiliate category for non-solicitors. In all, 17,568 eligible votes were cast, 12.7% of the voting papers sent out. Some 59.5% of solicitors voted against the plans, with 40.5% in favour. ...
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News
QC: judiciary 'scandal'
Leading discrimination and equality QC Karon Monaghan has labelled the make-up of the judiciary a ‘national scandal’. Speaking at the Royal Courts of Justice during the annual Inside Justice Week, Monaghan spoke of advances and improvements made in equality thanks to the Human Rights Act and wider legislation. But she ...
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Turnout looks to be low for Law Society's 'afiliate' ballot
Turnout for a Law Society ballot to create a new ‘affiliate’ category has been low, anecdotal evidence suggests. The postal ballot closes tomorrow. Affiliate status would be open to certain categories of non-solicitors working in the legal services market. Past President ...