Headlines – Page 1182
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ABA rebuffs proposal for non-lawyer ownership
The American Bar Association has rejected any proposal to change its ban on non-lawyer ownership of firms. The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 decided last week to uphold the prohibition after a three-year of consultation with the profession.
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Domestic violence concession as MPs back legal aid cuts
MPs overturned nearly all of the changes made by peers to the government’s proposed legal aid reforms, but in a key concession agreed to widen the evidential criteria required to grant legal aid to victims of domestic violence. In last night’s debate on the Legal Aid, ...
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Rights conference set to end in ‘fudge’
This week’s Brighton conference on the future of Europe’s human rights court will end in a meaningless ‘fudge’, with no serious debate to address the issues dividing the governments of the 47 European states attending, one of Britain’s leading political scientists has predicted. Dr Michael ...
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College of Law sold in £200m private equity deal
A private equity firm, Montagu, has bought the College of Law in a deal which it says has created a £200m charitable fund for legal education. The sale follows months of speculation, with Montagu Private Equity, media giant Pearson and Providence Private Equity all in the ...
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Is it different this time?
Two things have occurred that need your attention. The first alternative business structure (ABS) firms have been announced and QualitySolicitors’ new TV promotional campaign has started. I’m sure there will be a fierce debate about the pros and cons of QS' approach to promoting legal services; however given the Co-operative ...
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Money laundering again... and again
In the calm of the Easter break, the European commission has published an important report on anti-money laundering, which could eventually have a significant impact on solicitors’ duties. (When reviewing the topics I have written about in these blogs over nearly three years, money laundering is probably the most frequently ...
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Consumer panel to probe financial protection arrangements
The ability of regulators’ financial protection arrangements to cope with the high level of firms in distress is to come under the scrutiny of the consumer legal watchdog. In its work programme for 2012-13, published today, the Legal Services Consumer Panel says the capacity of ...
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Ministers target child legal aid in fightback against bill amendments
The government says it will oppose all but three of the 11 amendments made by peers to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders bill when the measure returns to the Commons tomorrow. A government response to the Lords’ amendments, published on Friday afternoon, signals ...
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Harmonised standards the key to family mediation, says Djanogly
Improved regulation and harmonised professional standards would encourage the take up of family mediation, the justice minister said today. Jonathan Djanogly told a Law Society conference on family mediation that the government will work with family mediation services, through the Family Mediation Council (FMC) to achieve a ‘harmonised’ scheme of ...
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Day in court
The day after press day on a weekly newspaper is a good one for editors to get out to see a bit of the real world. I spent last Thursday in Court 1, Southwark Crown court, watching the opening stages of what everyone expects to be a lengthy trial concerning ...
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Personal injury
Damages - Discount made for future pecuniary loss Simon v Helmot: Privy Council (Lords Hope, Brown, Clarke, Dyson, Lady Hale): 7 March 2012 Privy Council: In dismissing an appeal ...
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Jurisdiction
High Court - Inherent jurisdiction - Circumstances in which exercisable A Local Authority and others v DL: Court of Appeal, Civil Division (Lord Justices Maurice Kay, McFarlane and Davis): 28 March 2012 ...
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The Leveson Inquiry
The government announced plans last month to bring an end to the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in England. Great news for animal lovers concerned by the risk of mistreatment and cruelty to animals. But will it herald the demise of this unique entertainment event? If so, help ...
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Intellectual property
Equity - Confidence - Breach of confidence Force India Formula One Team Ltd v 1 Malaysia Racing Team SDN BHD and others: Chancery Division (Mr Justice Arnold): 21 March 2012 ...
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Reaching a verdict: miscarriages of justice
For lawyers there are few more emotive matters than a miscarriage of justice. Small wonder then that the angst around the failures of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is much more than existential. Defence lawyers and campaigners for reform of the CCRC describe an organisation that is hamstrung by ...