Headlines – Page 1340
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Police officers give evidence via video link pilot scheme
Police officers are giving evidence to court via a live video link from the police station, under a scheme being piloted by the Ministry of Justice. The scheme is currently being tested between South Norwood Police Station in London and Croydon Magistrates’ Court, and will ...
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Jail for trust probate executive in £100k fraud
A trust probate executive from Hove has been jailed for 30 months for defrauding four elderly women clients out of a total of £100,000. Jacqueline D’Hazzard (pictured), 44, pleaded guilty to four offences committed while she was a trust probate executive at Brighton firm Engleharts ...
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Society appeal to UN over Mexico human rights abuses
The Law Society has written to the UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers to call for an end to the ‘atmosphere of impunity’ in Mexico that it claims allows military and state authorities to harass, criminalise and threaten lawyers acting for the victims of human rights ...
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Law firms in the dark over Quinn PII payments
Law firms that took out professional indemnity insurance (PII) policies with stricken Irish company Quinn Insurance are still in the dark about when claims will be paid.
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Will ruling opens way for family claims
Family members who are snubbed in a relative’s will in favour of charities could find it easier to lay claim to the estate following a recent judgment. The Court of Appeal ruled last month that Heather Ilott could request a larger share of her mother Melita ...
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Is it possible, or moral, to safeguard the rule of law while applying it selectively?
The killing of Bin Laden was a cathartic experience for the US, and brought a degree of welcome closure to those bereaved on 9/11. In the US especially, it was an occasion more for celebration than reflection. In the aftermath, however, ...
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Reform plans from coalition on resolving workplace disputes are flawed
by Stephen Levinson, solicitor and partner at RadcliffesLeBrasseur, and a member of ELA’s legislative and policy committee The Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) has responded robustly to government proposals to change the way disputes in the workplace are resolved.
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Cuts to court reporters are bad news for justice
Here’s a spot of philosophy to keep you going during this tortuous four-day week: if a judge speaks but there’s nobody in his courtroom, does he still make a sound? I ask because there are an awful lot of courtrooms now where the press bench is ...
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Giving greater influence to victims could prove dangerous for justice
Of all the various parties involved in the criminal justice system, ‘the victim’ has always had a pretty raw deal. Not only was he or she unfortunate enough to have a crime committed against them in the first place, but they then become entangled in ...
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New website launches for personal injury claims
A new website has launched to gather personal injury claims for solicitors. The site selects only one firm per geographical area. Firms pay a flat monthly fee for the service which is based on the population of the area covered. ...
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Clifford Chance promotes nine partners in greater China
Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance has promoted 23 lawyers to its partnership – including 12 in Asia. The firm said the partnership promotions, which took effect on May 1, reflected a new commitment to business in the Far East, with nine of the new partners focused on the Greater China ...
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Top firms involved in merger talks
Almost three-quarters of UK law firms have entered into talks about mergers in the past year, according to research. The survey of the country’s top-200 law firms by turnover found that 74.2% have made an approach to, or been approached by, another firm with a view ...
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Network launches for Islamic finance lawyers
A network of worldwide Islamic finance lawyers is to launch next week. Luxembourg-based Islamic Finance Lawyers (ISFIN) said it is looking to recruit more lawyers to provide Sharia-compliant investment advice worldwide. The network aims to bring together specialist lawyers from member law ...
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BSB gives go ahead for barristers to sue solicitors over fees
The Bar Standards Board has given the green light for the introduction of standard contractual terms that will enable barristers to sue solicitors for unpaid fees.
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Complaints clinic: Legal Ombudsman
The ambiguous relationship between solicitors and clients can lead to problems arising around instructions One of the things we have spent a lot of time doing at the Legal Ombudsman – and still have ...
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Holman Fenwick Willan posts increase in revenue
Global expansion has seen international firm Holman Fenwick Willan secure revenue of £112.5m for the last year. The figure represents a 6% increase on a comparative 12-month period for 2009/10, with revenue from offices outside of London up by 45%. That jump ...
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Time is running out for Luddites
This weekend saw some momentous failures in football refereeing decisions at the top of the Premier League, at a time when the climax to the season is being approached and much of the world is watching on television. For those of you not interested ...
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SRA launches roadshow events on future of the profession
A series of talks on the future of the legal profession will start this week as the Solicitors Regulation Authority goes on the road. Around 2,500 lawyers are expected to attend the 2011 roadshows across the country – starting at the Law Society headquarters in Chancery ...
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Bar Standards Board to allow barristers to conduct litigation
The Bar Standards Board has approved proposals to regulate advocacy focused legal entities and allow barristers to conduct litigation. At a meeting last Thursday, the BSB decided it will regulate advocacy focused alternative business structures, legal disciplinary practices (LDPs) and barrister-only entities, but not multi-disciplinary practices. ...
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Essential Family Procedure Rules 2010
The law is unchanged. Therefore so is the terminology taken from the primary legislation, whatever relabelling the procedural changes purport to make. For example, Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 section 1 speaks of ‘petitions for divorce’. In the Family Procedure Rules ...