Last 3 months headlines – Page 1528
-
News
The role of coaching in law firms
How do we get the best performance from our lawyers? By using a coaching style of leadership and management. I do not set out a complete argument for choosing coaching below, but I proceed on the assumption that you are not happy with your present management style and feel something ...
-
News
Butler-Sloss calls for focus on children
A former president of the Family Division has called on the government to cut the number of children in custody and safeguard access to justice in child welfare cases. Delivering the Law Society’s first Henry Hodge memorial lecture last night, Lady Butler-Sloss said too many children ...
-
News
How to cross the TUPE minefield
The transfer of undertakings minefield should not be allowed to obliterate new business opportunities. Gordon Turner offers guidance how to cross it safely
-
News
Contract law: this summer’s essential beach reading from the EC
A sure sign of the beginning of the summer, as fixed as hot weather and crowded airports, is the publication by the European Commission of an important consultation document. They clear their desks before packing their bags, and woe to the rest of us who want to enjoy the summer. ...
-
News
Legal aid budget to be slashed by half a billion
Justice secretary Ken Clarke is expected to submit plans to the Treasury today that will slash the £2.1bn legal aid budget by a quarter. The huge cut of half a billion pounds is a response to chancellor George Osborne’s demands for sweeping cuts to be made ...
-
News
Firms that fail to pay ARP premium will face closure
Firms in the assigned risks pool that have not paid their premiums by October will be closed down, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said today as it unveiled a tough new enforcement programme to clamp down on ‘financially unstable’ firms in the pool. The SRA said that ...
-
News
Morale has never been lower in legal aid
Over the last couple of years covering legal aid for the Gazette, I have got used to writing stories of the doom and gloom facing lawyers and their clients, as fees are cut and bureaucracy increased.
-
News
Family law: Barder appeals – recent developments
There has recently been a series of Barder appeals, all based upon a significant change in the value of an asset soon after the final order was made. None of them have succeeded. As Thorpe LJ stated in Myerson v Myerson [2009] EWCA Civ 282, ‘very few successful applications have ...
-
News
Sentencing
Penology and criminology – commencement provisions – concurrent sentences – custody plus orders R (on the application of Noone) (FC) v Governor of Drake Hall Prison and Anor: SC (Lords Phillips, Saville, Brown, Mance, Judge): 30 June 2010 ...
-
News
Human rights
Administration of justice – armed forces – inquests – jurisdiction R (on the application of Smith) (respondent) v Secretary of State for Defence (appellant): SC (Lords Phillips (president), Hope (deputy president), Rodger, Walker, Brown, Mance, Collins, Kerr, Lady Hale): ...
-
News
PII – why a large number of firms will be seeking a new insurer
When the profession ditched the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF), a compelling reason for the move was that many good firms were paying for the failures of the few. Now, a decade later, solicitors are back in exactly the same position. Only, the ‘few’ could become substantially more over the next ...
-
News
Voice of experience
That great survivor Ken Clarke, who turned 70 this month, was on characteristically ebullient form at the Law Society’s summer party at the Tate Modern. And yes, it’s official – like all jazz afficionados, the new justice secretary and erstwhile chancellor really does wear brown suede shoes. Like many people ...
-
News
MoJ unveils policy roadmap
The Ministry of Justice has published a structural reform plan (SRP), setting out key milestones and timescales for delivering policy. Justice secretary Ken Clarke listed his top five priorities as: sentencing reform; a ‘rehabilitation revolution’; reforming the courts and legal aid system; reform of the prison ...
-
News
What's up, Doc?
Obiter was intrigued to learn that ‘distinguished achiever’ Lord Bach, or, as he is not-so-fondly considered in some circles, hammer of the legal aid system, is being given an honorary degree, to be conferred upon him today by the University of Leicester. Former ...
-
News
Splitting hair
Divorce is never a laughing matter. So Obiter extends heartfelt sympathies to the poor couple pictured (in the foreground), who are in the process of parting company. What’s that you say? This bearded chap and elegantly coiffed blonde lady are not actually a separating couple, but are in fact two ...
-
News
Scare tactics
Cheshire firm Chafes has hosted temporary recruits at its Wilmslow office over the past week. Two scarecrows, named Mike and Dave by staff, have been somewhat precariously ensconced on a ledge outside the firm’s first-floor office. Their arrival is not, as one might imagine, linked to problems of the avian ...
-
News
Is mental health tendering scheme a success story?
Hugh Barrett (see letter) states that the tendering scheme in mental health was a success. The highly vulnerable clients we represent will often not see it that way.
-
News
Democratic mandate
May I make the following two points in response to the generous comments by Joshua Rozenberg concerning the paper Towards a codified constitution, produced by a working group chaired by Professor Vernon Bogdanor and myself, and published by Justice.
-
News
Sharia dilemma
Howard Shelley’s letter about the potential usefulness of sharia law raises the thorny question of how sharia is to be ‘given a try’. At present sharia courts hear cases and give judgments on a voluntary basis. The only further step I could envisage being taken would be to make those ...
-
News
Sexism is no joke
Howard Shelley (see letter) says sharia law has a role to play in dispute resolution. Nothing in law currently prevents anyone submitting to religious dispute resolution if they so choose. As he says, as long as it does not replace English law it can be used. The Jews have the ...