Last 3 months headlines – Page 1543
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It’s time to put some balance back into journalism
When did reporters stop reporting the news and become political propagandists instead? We are not just talking about the tabloids here – although much more about them later – but about local newspapers, the regional backbone of the free press of which we were rightly proud.
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Race disparity
I am writing in respect of recent articles on the issue of diversity and race in the legal profession.
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Civil litigation cases risk being ‘buried’, lord chief justice warns
The civil litigation system is at risk of being ‘buried under a mass of paperwork’ because of the way lawyers are compiling their arguments, lord chief justice Lord Judge has warned. Delivering the Judicial Studies Board lecture last week, Judge said modern technology meant lawyers were ...
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Firm found liable to pay more than £28m for giving negligent advice
A warning bell has sounded for law firms that advised on complex financial deals involving local authorities before the economic downturn, after a firm was found liable to pay more than £28m for giving negligent advice.
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South Korea ‘high growth market’ opens up for UK firms
The Law Society is to run a trade mission to the ‘high growth market’ of South Korea this month, after the signing of an agreement to liberalise legal services opened the way for UK firms to seek new opportunities in the country.
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Cap on contingency fees comes into force
Regulations which will impose a 35% cap on contingency fees in employment cases were approved by the House of Commons and came into force this week. Solicitors lambasted the new rules as a ‘dog’s dinner’ which threatens access to justice. The ...
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Criminal defence firms fail to secure legal aid contracts beyond July 2010
Criminal solicitors have warned that a ‘cull’ of firms has begun after Legal Services Commission figures revealed that 5% of firms did not secure new contracts. The recent tender for criminal contracts ended with one in 20 firms failing to secure the right to do publicly ...
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Government abandons libel fee cut bid
The government this week ditched controversial plans to cap success fees paid to ‘no win, no fee’ lawyers in libel cases. Commons leader Harriet Harman said the legislation, which would have reduced the fees charged by lawyers who won defamation cases taken on under conditional ...
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Firms face bar competition after conduct rules relaxed
Changes to the barristers’ code of conduct that enable them to undertake work that was previously only open to solicitors will increase competition but give law firms the opportunity to pick up ‘talent from the bar’, according to consultants. Last week, the Legal Services Board approved ...
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English language test for foreign-qualified lawyers
Foreign-qualified lawyers seeking to practise in England and Wales will have to pass an English language test under new rules approved by the Legal Services Board last week. International applicants will have to pass the language test before being eligible to take the assessments required under ...
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Legal aid cuts will happen ‘under any government’, parties warn
The legal aid budget will face further cuts whoever wins the election, politicians from the three main parties warned last week. Legal aid minister Lord Bach, shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve QC and Liberal Democrat justice spokesman David Howarth all said new funding streams needed to ...
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Fate of Quinn Insurance hangs in the balance
More than 2,900 law firms and sole practitioners could be left without professional indemnity insurance (PII) on Monday when the Irish High Court decides the fate of Quinn Insurance, the Irish insurance company that was forced into administration last week. Quinn covers around 10% of the solicitors’ PII insurance market. ...
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News
Fate of Quinn Insurance hangs in the balance
More than 2,900 law firms and sole practitioners could be left without professional indemnity insurance (PII) on Monday when the Irish High Court decides the fate of Quinn Insurance, the Irish insurance company that was forced into administration last week. Quinn covers around 10% of the solicitors’ PII insurance market. ...
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Legal aid work at 1998 rates
This may make you laugh. I still do legal aid work. Child care. The rates have not gone up since 1998. Travelling and waiting, I am earning for the firm £32.45 per hour. Because I'm on the Children Panel I can charge an extra amount per hour, just under 5p.
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Property solicitors will need to adapt to a rapidly changing market
Property has been anything but ‘as safe as houses’ for solicitors who deal with residential conveyancing since the onset of the credit crunch. Their colleagues in the commercial property sector have encountered equally thin pickings. But, slowly and unevenly, both sectors of the property market are ...
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Local government: standards appraisal – what are the options?
In the acclaimed BBC comedy The Office, David Brent had rather a hard time trying to conduct an appraisal with Keith from accounts, who came across as a less-than-helpful appraisee. However, Standards for England (SFE) appeared to have less trouble with its appraisal of the local government standards framework, for ...
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Real property
Disclosure – Misrepresentation - Mortages – Spouses Jayne Hewett v First Plus Financial Group Plc: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Jacob, Leveson, Mr Justice Briggs): 24 March 2010 ...
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Social security
Accidents – Heart – Industrial injuries benefits – Personal injury Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v James Scullion: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Pill, Etherton, Aikens): 23 March 2010 ...
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Criminal procedure
Causation – Foreseeability – Joint enterprise – Jury directions R v (1) Reece Mendez (2) Seaon Thompson: CA (Crim Div) (Lord Justice Toulson, Mrs Justice Cox DBE, Judge Barker QC (Common Serjeant of London)): 22 March 2010 ...
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Memory lane
Law Society’s Gazette, April 1960 Licensing Days – Edward A. Williams writes about his early days as a ...