Last 3 months headlines – Page 1225

  • News

    Last-chance warning on COLPs and COFAs

    2012-11-16T00:00:00Z

    Hundreds of law firms risk losing their licence to practise within a matter of weeks unless they appoint compliance officers for legal practice (COLPs), and finance and administration (COFAs). Some 400 have still to do so, despite more than three months having elapsed since the 31 July deadline and repeated ...

  • News

    The Co-op’s a game-changer

    2012-11-16T00:00:00Z

    I had the privilege of attending the launch of the Co-operative Legal Services Family Law service at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. It was a fascinating and thought-provoking occasion.

  • News

    Exclusivity at the bar

    2012-11-16T00:00:00Z

    Attendees at the Bar Council’s annual conference were treated to an absolute masterclass in delivery from Lady Justice Rafferty. Delivering the keynote address, Rafferty spoke with poise and dry wit in defence of an elite. The word makes many at the bar shuffle – it does ...

  • News

    Don’t meddle with education and training, Neuberger warns

    2012-11-16T00:00:00Z

    The president of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, has warned regulators to hold back from radical change to legal education and training. Neuberger warned that too much emphasis on consumer interests could undermine the rule of law. The Legal and Education Training Review, set up by ...

  • News

    Family

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Orders in family proceedings – Care order – Mother and child being placed with foster carers Re H (a child): Court of Appeal, Civil Division (Lord Justices Thorpe, Lewison, and Mr Justice Hedley): 26 October 2012 ...

  • News

    Insolvency

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Bankruptcy – Discharge – Release of bankruptcy debts by discharge McRoberts v McRoberts: Chancery Division (Mr Justice Hildyard): 1 November 2012 A discharged bankrupt sought the release of his financial ...

  • News

    Trademark

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Infringement – Defendant seeking to launch television service called 'NOW TV' Starbucks (HK) Ltd and other companies v British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and other companies: Chancery Division (Mr Justice Arnold): 2 November 2012 ...

  • News

    European Union

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Workers – Freedom of movement – Social security – Income support Saint Prix v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Supreme Court (Lords Neuberger P, Mance, Kerr and Reed, Lady Hale): 31 October 2012 ...

  • News

    Part 36: the normal costs rules

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    The normal costs rules under part 36.10(5)(a) and (b) provide that, where a part 36 offer is accepted after the relevant period has expired and unless the court orders otherwise, the claimant will be entitled to the costs of the proceedings up to the date on which the relevant period ...

  • News

    Efforts to challenge domestic violence are welcome

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Thank you to Wragge & Co and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy for their commendable initiatives in challenging domestic violence. I experienced domestic violence over a number of years while a solicitor in a City law firm, my ex-husband being a solicitor in another City law firm.

  • News

    Cause for complaint

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    I read the article by John Hyde entitled ‘Progress slow on standards’ with increasing disgruntlement over my coffee on Friday morning.

  • News

    Cheque mystery

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    On 12 September I sent an application to set aside a default judgment to Northampton. I was urged to send a cheque payable to an organisation by the name of ‘HM Courts and Tribunal Service’. My cheque was cashed on 3 October, since when I have heard nothing. I have ...

  • News

    Client care is top priority

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    As a (thankfully now semi-retired) solicitor of another generation, I was completely taken aback by the publication of James Caan’s comments. The headline - in the magazine - is: ‘Dragons’ Den star: It’s about the money.’ Is it?

  • News

    Roundtable: young guns

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    It is no bed of roses being a junior lawyer amid the biggest economic downturn since the second world war. Just as it is not easy being ‘junior’, that is to say, young, or in the early stages of trying to forge a career, in any walk of life. The ...

  • News

    ‘Injustice’ is a dirty word

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    James Caan played an unsophisticated and ruthless mercenary (Santino Corleone) in The Godfather. His namesake is now given space on your front page to argue a similar philosophy.

  • News

    Putting money before ethics

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Granted there is much to criticise in the investment/business model of partnership but those are commercial problems that can be fixed privately. If they cannot, you walk, simple as that. Reading, however, that James Caan now owns a law firm, I ruefully thought back to a ...

  • News

    Bar chief rebuffed over LSB closure

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Calls from the bar for the disbanding of the Legal Services Board met with a cool reception from the government this week. Bar Council chair Michael Todd QC told the bar’s annual conference that the super-regulator was going ‘beyond its brief’ and creating ‘burdensome costs’. ...

  • News

    Grayling renews human rights assault after Qatada release

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Justice secretary Chris Grayling has used the Abu Qatada deportation debacle to strengthen his call for reform of European human rights laws. The radical Islamic cleric was released on bail this week after a special immigration appeals commission allowed his appeal against deportation to Jordan, ...

  • News

    Local government merger plan

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Lawyers in Local Government is likely to be the name of a new body combining Solicitors in Local Government, which represents 4,000 local government lawyers in England and Wales, and the Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors. The merger move coincides with the Law Society’s ...

  • News

    Claims management regulation ‘won't be transferred’

    2012-11-15T00:00:00Z

    The government will resist calls to transfer claims management regulation to another independent regulator. Justice minister Helen Grant (pictured) told a House of Commons debate last week that fundamental change was wrong at a time when reforms were tackling bad practice by the sector. ...