Headlines – Page 1439
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Is our fear of identity cards harming us?
Here is a topic to raise the blood pressure of every patriotic UK citizen. Whereas on the continent, benign democratic societies flourish with a population which carries ID cards, somehow it is thought that darkness will descend on the UK if ID cards are ever introduced.
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Regulation of estate agents ‘unnecessary’, says OFT
Solicitors have expressed disappointment that the Office of Fair Trading did not propose the regulation of estate agents in its home buying and selling report published last week. Despite representations made by many in the industry, including the Law Society, the OFT concluded there was ‘not ...
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Two solicitors charged in connection with £50m fraud
Two solicitors have been charged with multiple offences related to a series of high-value commercial mortgage frauds worth around £50m in total. Mark Knights of Cheshire, 45, who worked at Manchester firm Mace & Jones at the time the frauds took place, appeared today at the ...
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A positive verdict on juries
I have never served on a jury, so I have no experience of how they work in practice. But I have regarded trial by jury as one of the cornerstones of the English legal system and a vital safeguard to ensure justice and protect individuals from oppressive action by the ...
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Local government lawyers to develop new competence powers
Local government lawyers are to draft a new ‘power of general competence’ to give local authorities greater freedom to act independently of central government to improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their areas. The new power of general competence is intended to complement the ...
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Watch out for claims
Sometimes the claimant personal injury industry can suffer from a bit of a bad rep. So Obiter was intrigued to learn of a documentary – Scams, Claims and Compensation Games – to be screened next week on Channel 4. The programme delves into the multi-billion-pound industry to examine who are ...
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Mistaken dictation
In this computer age where working life is constantly interrupted by the pinging of emails, it is nice to know that the trusty dictaphone is still a survivor, and indeed it seems to be having the last laugh. Jo Summers, principal at London firm PWT Advice, recalls some amusing dictaphone ...
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Without compliments
It’s no secret that claimant and defendant personal injury lawyers do not exactly see eye to eye much of the time. Speaking at the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers’ very posh president’s lunch at the Armourers’ Hall in London last week, APIL president John McQuater said he hoped the two ...
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Bach in business
After two years in the job, legal aid minister Lord Willy Bach was showing signs of battle fatigue last week as his party continues its fight to cut spending on legal aid and introduce Lord Carter’s reforms. Speaking at the Public Legal Education Network’s conference, he compared the highs and ...
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Local government – Taxi! Breach of consultation and apparent bias, please
Taxis take you wherever you want to go, but Newport City Council’s taxi ride to the Administrative Court didn’t end well for the authority.
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Human rights
Deformation – Breach of confidence – Freedom of expression – Injunctions LNS v Persons Unknown: QBD (Mr Justice Tugendhat): 29 January 2010 The applicant (X) applied for an injunction ...
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One rule for all
Mr Digby-Bell’s letter of 11 February, continuing the debate about time-based charging, suggests that clients whose matters proceed in a manner without complication should subsidise the transactions of other clients where problems may occur.
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Supply and demand
I must confess I do not agree with the sympathy expressed for trainees (‘Trainees facing exploitation on qualifying’, [2009] Gazette, 11 February, 1).
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Fighting prejudice
While I accept the views of business minister Pat McFadden in his article ‘Breaking the class ceiling’, I would like to add that the only way in which equality can be achieved in the legal profession is by eradicating racism and discrimination, which are an inherent part of the profession.
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Tools of the trade
I write further to Pat McFadden's article entitled ‘Breaking the class ceiling’ (see [2010] Gazette, 11 February, 10).
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Reaction to terrorism judgments has not inspired confidence
Maintaining the rule of law in the face of international terrorism is the greatest challenge our legal system faces. Over the past few weeks, the courts have shown themselves capable of delivering robust judgments. It’s what happened afterwards that inspires rather less confidence.
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A work in progress: creating a diverse judiciary is neither easy nor painless
by Baroness Prashar, chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission Our judicial appointments system – established under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 – was designed to enhance judicial independence and excellence, and the judiciary’s legitimacy, by making the judiciary more reflective of contemporary society.
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Law firms must make the effort to inculcate a culture of equality at all levels
by Jill Andrewan employment partner at Marriott Harrison. She is the author of ‘Discrimination issues for law firms’, Practice Management Handbook (Law Society 2009), and editor of the Law Society’s forthcoming publication, Managing People in Legal Businesses Many law firms pay thousands of pounds to PR ...
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Ensuring firms pay the right fee for regulation will be no easy task
The Solicitors Regulation Authority had no real choice but to press on with its reforms of the practising certificate fee this week, under growing pressure from solicitors in the employed sector who now make up a meaty 26% of the profession. But there is a ...