Last 3 months headlines – Page 1414
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Lawyers charging consumers for complaints - research
Lawyers are failing to advise consumers how to go about making complaints and in some cases are charging people for complaining, research by the Legal Services Board (LSB) has found. A survey of dissatisfied legal customers by YouGov revealed more than half were never told about ...
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Clarke rules out further raid on legal aid pot
Kenneth Clarke today ruled out further legal aid cuts in addition to those already signalled, following the apparent u-turn earlier this week over his proposed sentencing reforms. Speaking to the Law Society’s Junior Lawyers Division today, the justice secretary confirmed that ‘the flurry of nonsense’ in ...
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Ranks of corporate counsel swell as work retained in-house
More than one in 10 City lawyers are now working in-house as law firms face an increasing squeeze from the commercial sector, according to research by a recruitment consultancy. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of solicitors in commercial organisations and financial institutions rose by 140%, ...
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Developments in e-disclosure shaping the ways lawyers review evidence
Interviewed for a job once, one of us was asked to describe the essence of a piece of litigation. After offering a glib answer along the lines of the importance of the ability to read the future and people’s minds, the interviewer’s understanding impressed: ...
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Extremism, universities and the law
This week home secretary Theresa May made headlines when she accused UK universities of ‘complacency’ on extremism. ‘I don't think they have been sufficiently willing to recognise what can be happening on their campuses and the radicalisation that can take place,’ May argued, as she ...
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Sentencing discount u-turn sparks fears of deeper legal aid cuts
Fears that the government may be planning to implement even deeper cuts to legal aid than it has already signalled rose significantly today. Prime minister David Cameron is widely reported to have shelved key parts of justice secretary Kenneth Clarke’s plan to give offenders a ...
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What’s behind the delay in publishing the Justice Bill?
So when is the government going to publish its Justice Bill, containing the legal aid reforms, Jackson proposals on civil litigation funding and sentencing reforms? This is the question to which everyone wants an answer. Speculation on the date has been ...
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Half of accident victims do not claim
The UK may not have the ‘compensation culture’ that so many commentators claim, new research has suggested. A study conducted by the website personalinjurylawyers.co.uk has found that almost half of respondents who had been the victim of an accident never went on to claim compensation. ...
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Firms' duties in a tough economy
There is a fine line between being a harbinger of doom and a realist. Being objective, however, the signs are not good. It is undoubtedly the case that insolvency practitioners are becoming increasingly busy preparing reports on law firms for their creditor banks. ...
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Clients remain reluctant to pre-empt problems using simple legal advice
My Saturday paper had a feature recently on how to avoid problems with your builder. One suggestion was if you have a contract worth over £8,000 then get a solicitor to look over it first before you sign anything. It ...
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Co-op offers legal services through bank branches
The Co-operative has this week become the first high street bank to offer legal advice to its customers. The Co-operative Group, the UK's largest mutual business, has begun a pilot scheme to deliver legal advice through three Bristol-based branches of Britannia. The ...
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Clifford Chance announces pay increases
Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance has announced salary increases for its senior lawyers, but a pay freeze for trainees and newly-qualified solicitors. The Canary Wharf-based firm will pay lawyers with three years’ experience a salary of £85,500, up by £1,000 on last year. Those with two years’ PQE will receive ...
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Legal expenses insurers win a point
It is one up to the legal expenses insurers this week in the ongoing ding-dong over the extent of the insured person’s right to choose a lawyer.
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Lawyers seek deal with insurers over freedom to choose non-panel firms
The Law Society’s civil justice committee is in negotiations with legal expenses insurers to agree rules that will ensure freedom of choice of solicitor in personal injury claims. The committee has held two meetings with insurers in a bid to agree terms enabling clients to choose ...
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Pension contributions and pension input periods
Late last year new rules were announced relating to tax relief on pension contributions from 6 April 2011. The 2011 Finance Bill, which includes these rules, is due to be enacted by late June/early July 2011, so partners have just a few short weeks ...
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Lawyers are members of ‘rich minority’, say unions
Unions have held up the wages paid to members of the legal sector as proof of Britain’s growing earnings chasm. The TUC has today published a report that states that judges, barristers and solicitors have seen their salaries more than double since 1978 in real terms. ...
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It’s time to change barristers’ CPD
The Bar Standards’ Board’s annual Clementi debate took place last week. With the recent publication of the bar’s consultation on continuing professional development (CPD) and the joint review of legal education by the three regulators currently underway, the topic for this year’s debate was the future of CPD for barristers ...
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Government seeks children’s views on justice system
The Family Justice Review Panel has invited children to give their views on reforming the court service so that it better meets their needs. Roger Morgan, the Children’s Rights Director for England, has drawn up a young people’s guide to the family justice review, published today. ...
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Calls for change on drug policy are whistling in the wind
Trying to extrapolate a liberal drug policy from David Cameron is like punching fog: a gargantuan effort for no reward whatsoever. There is more chance of the Prime Minister running naked through Downing Street with ‘big society’ tattooed on his chest than there is of him ...
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Solicitors acquitted of mortgage fraud
Three solicitors have been acquitted of involvement in an alleged £50m commercial mortgage fraud, while the jury was unable to reach a verdict in relation to three others. Hardeep Sodhi, who at the time of the alleged offences was a solicitor at Birmingham firm Patwa; Simon ...