Last 3 months headlines – Page 1677

  • News

    Property search chief quits after just six months

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Mervyn Pilley has resigned as chief executive of the Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) after only six months in the post. The trade organisation for the property search industry said the resignation followed a series of discussions in the new year between Pilley and the ...

  • News

    Ormerod to head Law Commission

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    The Law Commission has appointed Mark Ormerod as its new chief executive. Ormerod, who is currently director of access to justice policy at the Ministry of Justice, will take up his new position on 2 March, replacing William Arnold, who has been acting chief executive ...

  • News

    LDPs to go live on 31 March

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    The ‘go live’ date for legal disciplinary practices (LDPs) has been put back a month, to 31 March, at the instigation of justice minister Bridget Prentice. In a statement today, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said it will be able to regulate the new business ...

  • News

    Land Registry asks private firms to build property chain matrix

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    The Land Registry has announced it will support commercial IT companies to develop ‘Chain Matrix’ systems to make conveyancing more transparent. The Registry shelved its own prototype system in 2007 after spending £15m in partnership with IBM. This announcement was the result ...

  • News

    Taxing problem for solicitors

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Paying tax has been identified as the number one concern of solicitors hit by the credit crunch. Late incoming payments from third parties are making the problem worse, according to an online survey by the Law Society. Most firms said private clients were not paying their bills on time, which ...

  • News

    Watchdog wins appeal over ‘boiler room’ scam

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    The Financial Services Authority today (17 February) won an appeal against Leeds legal firm Fox Hayes over its failure to take reasonable steps to prevent a $21m (£14.7m) ‘boiler room’ fraud that hit 670 UK investors.

  • News

    How the Mortgage Arrears Protocol affects mortgage proceedings

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    With mortgage repossessions increasing, the government is stepping in with advice to mortgage lenders. As sources of mortgage finance dry up, families can find themselves facing higher mortgage costs, as well as other budgetary pressures. Their predicament has been exacerbated by the tough attitude of ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Constitutional law - Aliens - Constitutional reform - EC law - Right to free elections - Sark R (on the application of Barclay & Ors) v Secretary of State for Justice & Ors: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Pill, ...

  • News

    Legal advice

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Conditional fee agreements - Legal costs insurance - Solicitors’ powers Kier Tankard (appellant) v John Fredricks Plastics Ltd (respondent); (1) Fawcett Old Ltd (2) Michael Jane Hair & Beauty (appellants) v Yvonne Hibberd (respondent); Mark Jones (appellant) v Karl ...

  • News

    Legal profession

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Barristers’ fees - Comparators - Funding arrangements Lord Chancellor v John Charles Rees & ors: QBD (Sir Charles Gray): 19 December 2008 The appellant Lord Chancellor appealed against the decision ...

  • News

    Legal advice

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Breach of contract - Conditional fee arrangements - Costs - Retainers (1) Bray Walker Solicitors (a firm) (2) Bevans Bray Walkers Ltd (t/a Bevans) v Carlo Moise Silvera: QBD (Mr Justice Blake): 18 December 2008 ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Sentencing - EC law - Foreign travel - Notification - Sex offenders R (on the application of F) v Secretary of State for Justice: R (on the application of Angus Aubrey Thompson) v Secretary of State for Justice: DC ...

  • News

    Local government

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Planning - Human rights - Change of use - Mobile homes (1) Theo Langton (2) Ruth McGill v (1) Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (2) West Dorset District Council: QBD (Admin) (Judge Gilbart QC): 7 January ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Bicycles - Exemptions - Notification - Processions Kay v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis: HL (Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Baroness Hale of Richmond, Lord Carswell, Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood): 26 November 2008 ...

  • News

    Criminal defence call centres may work, but are they justice?

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    At 9.37am on the Friday before Christmas, the display screen in the middle of the open-plan office indicates that 287 calls from police stations have so far been answered. It is the job of the Defence Solicitor Call Centre (DSCC) in Purley, Surrey (the DSCC’s other ...

  • News

    Promoting and enforcing contact

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    On 8 December 2008, the Children and Adoption Act 2006 (Commencement No 3) Order 2008 came into force.

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Negligence - Duty of care - Health authorities - Nursing homes Trent Strategic Health Authority v Jain & anor: HL (Lord Scott of Foscote, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Baroness Hale of Richmond, Lord Carswell, Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury): 21 ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Social welfare - Care workers - Listing system for protection of vulnerable adults R (on the application of Wright and others) v Secretary of State for Health: HL (Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Lord Hoffmann, Lord Hope of Craighead, ...

  • News

    Capital economics

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Like many institutions, the Law Society – and indeed the Gazette – get occasional stick for being allegedly metro-centric. Unfairly, of course – here in Chancery Lane we are perfectly cognisant of the world of flat hats and whippets that begins 100 metres north of the M25. And, contrary to ...

  • News

    Easy rider

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Obiter has learned to be wary of horses, whether it comes to going near them or putting money on them. Not everybody, however, shares this caution. Trainee solicitor Simon Latchford (pictured) is one of 3,000 amateur jockeys who applied to compete in the ...