Last 3 months headlines – Page 1558
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Representing all
I would like to clarify an important point in relation to last week’s news story ‘Large firms in legal aid talks’ (see [2010] Gazette 18 February, 1) .
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Double jeopardy
Your report concerning the risk of court action arising from money laundering reporting (see [2010] Gazette, February 11, 1) highlights the invidious position of solicitors under the current legislation.
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Freedom of information: exemptions and vetoes
The tax status of the Conservative Party’s major donor and deputy chairman, Lord Ashcroft, has been the subject of much controversy and media headlines over the past few years.
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Committee proposes libel law changes
A parliamentary committee has proposed wide-ranging changes to the libel laws but rejected the introduction of legislation on privacy. The Commons Culture, Media and Sports Committee recommended that the Press Complaints Commission amended its code to include a new requirement that journalists notify the subject of ...
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Commercial reality
Richard Tinn appears to be accusing me of departing from the traditional values of our profession in suggesting that clients want fixed fees instead of time-based charging (see [2010] Gazette, 18 February, 11).
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Law Society wins top Business Superbrands award
The Law Society has been voted the strongest brand in the Association & Accreditation (A&A) sector of the Business Superbrands survey for the second year running. It was also ranked 75th overall out of the top 500 brands across all sectors, up from 118th last ...
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End of the training contract
Could a new holistic approach to training solicitors, being trialed by Northumbria University Law School in partnership with national firm Irwin Mitchell, be the future of legal education?
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Groundbreaking college scheme sidesteps training contract
Northumbria University Law School has joined forces with national firm Irwin Mitchell to pilot a groundbreaking scheme to train future lawyers. It now offers a full-time five-year Master of Law (Solicitor) degree, combining the academic, vocational and training stages of qualification as a solicitor, at the ...
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Commission proposes radical shake-up of social care law
The Law Commission has today proposed the most radical shake-up of adult social care law in 60 years. The proposals, uniting the provisions of 38 separate acts in one modern statute, aim to avoid red tape, delays and litigation. They will also save public money and ...
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CPS updates its code for Crown prosecutors
The Crown Prosecution Service has issued an updated edition of its code for Crown prosecutors to make it easier for the public to understand how decisions are made. The document, which follows a 12-week consultation, includes a clearer explanation of the public interest factors in making ...
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Is our fear of identity cards harming us?
Here is a topic to raise the blood pressure of every patriotic UK citizen. Whereas on the continent, benign democratic societies flourish with a population which carries ID cards, somehow it is thought that darkness will descend on the UK if ID cards are ever introduced.
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Regulation of estate agents ‘unnecessary’, says OFT
Solicitors have expressed disappointment that the Office of Fair Trading did not propose the regulation of estate agents in its home buying and selling report published last week. Despite representations made by many in the industry, including the Law Society, the OFT concluded there was ‘not ...
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Two solicitors charged in connection with £50m fraud
Two solicitors have been charged with multiple offences related to a series of high-value commercial mortgage frauds worth around £50m in total. Mark Knights of Cheshire, 45, who worked at Manchester firm Mace & Jones at the time the frauds took place, appeared today at the ...
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A positive verdict on juries
I have never served on a jury, so I have no experience of how they work in practice. But I have regarded trial by jury as one of the cornerstones of the English legal system and a vital safeguard to ensure justice and protect individuals from oppressive action by the ...
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Local government lawyers to develop new competence powers
Local government lawyers are to draft a new ‘power of general competence’ to give local authorities greater freedom to act independently of central government to improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their areas. The new power of general competence is intended to complement the ...
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Watch out for claims
Sometimes the claimant personal injury industry can suffer from a bit of a bad rep. So Obiter was intrigued to learn of a documentary – Scams, Claims and Compensation Games – to be screened next week on Channel 4. The programme delves into the multi-billion-pound industry to examine who are ...
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Mistaken dictation
In this computer age where working life is constantly interrupted by the pinging of emails, it is nice to know that the trusty dictaphone is still a survivor, and indeed it seems to be having the last laugh. Jo Summers, principal at London firm PWT Advice, recalls some amusing dictaphone ...
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Without compliments
It’s no secret that claimant and defendant personal injury lawyers do not exactly see eye to eye much of the time. Speaking at the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers’ very posh president’s lunch at the Armourers’ Hall in London last week, APIL president John McQuater said he hoped the two ...
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Bach in business
After two years in the job, legal aid minister Lord Willy Bach was showing signs of battle fatigue last week as his party continues its fight to cut spending on legal aid and introduce Lord Carter’s reforms. Speaking at the Public Legal Education Network’s conference, he compared the highs and ...
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Memory lane
Law Society’s Gazette, February 1970 Random ramblingsWatch out, brothers. We’re being computerised. We shall soon be able to ...