Last 3 months headlines – Page 1684
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Economic downturn impacts Welsh firms
Law firms in Wales, from big commercial firms to rural high street practices, are waiting to see just how they will be affected by the turmoil afflicting the wider UK economy. ‘No one is immune to what is happening but there aren’t the extremes here,’ says Alan Meredith, senior partner ...
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A hard act to follow
Lord Bingham was the perfect person to address the recent Conference of World City Bar Leaders.
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The bigger they are - the harder they fall?
A Law Society review of solicitor regulation is both timely and welcome.
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Toxic waste
I write with reference to Peter Williamson’s article ‘Rehearsing for the Big Bang’ on the advent of alternative business structures (see [2008] Gazette, 9 October, 10). I remember the government’s decision some years ago to have ‘light-touch’ regulation of the financial sector. We are all now ...
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Litigation slur
I write as chair of the Law Society Civil Litigation Committee, and on behalf of litigation solicitors, to correct a very inaccurate slur upon solicitors in the feature headlined ‘Have your say’ (see [2008] Gazette, 16 October, 16). The author says that ‘the profession has so ...
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Small wonders
I refer to Brian Craig’s comments alluding to the creation of a ‘cottage industry’ in respect of criminal legal aid firms (see [2008] Gazette, 9 October, 3). Such a view is unqualified and is also patronising towards smaller criminal practices. Mr Craig apparently believes that larger firms should be entitled ...
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Let the Hunt begin
Rare opportunity for grassroots lawyers to make their voices heard. Few subjects in the Gazette’s ambit generate such impassioned opinions as regulation. Every week our postbag is guaranteed to contain numerous missives from lawyers taking a swipe at the Solicitors Regulation Authority and/or Legal Complaints Service. ...
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The truth is out there
Public inquiries are cathartic for grieving families but often fail to address the very failings they identify. In recent years, public inquiries have become part of the fabric of our political life. Their recommendations are often the platform for major public policy changes.
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How to earn your green spurs
In the A-Z of Global Warming, personal injury lawyer Simon Rosser has written a compact and useful guide, making the complexities of climate change more accessible to the lay person. The book is aimed at the reader who is aware of climate change as an issue, ...
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The enema of reason
And still they come, those legal typos. Some bring tears to our eyes, for more reasons than one. Sarah O’Leary of Dobson Solicitors recalls a brief to counsel on a rape case referring to a client undergoing a ‘penile swap’ at the police station. ‘Politicians might see this as an ...
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SAL takes a dim view of Diwali date clash
Oh dear. In a worthy bid to promote equality and diversity in the profession, the Bar Council South East Circuit (SEC) intended to hold an event called ‘Against the Odds’ on 28 October. Good stuff, except for one small detail: no one noticed that the date clashed with Diwali. ...
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Dead funny show
Who said the death penalty wasn’t funny? Trained solicitor and Irish comic Keith Farnan will be telling some dead funny jokes as part of his one-man comedy act about the death penalty. In Cruel and Unusual, Farnan’s stand-up show tells his story from law school in ...
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Thistle be the youngest advocate yet
They are getting younger. Since May 2008 Morgan Rees at West Midlands firm Bell Lax has been proud to bear the title of the youngest solicitor-advocate (see [2008] Gazette, 8 May, 8). He gained his higher rights aged 24 years and 297 days. However, his claim to fame has been ...
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Tough training pays off at the O2
Solicitors just can’t stop running – perhaps it’s the best training for dealing with legal services reform and City meltdown. Angie Crush, Vanda James and Abigail Harding, of Warners Solicitors, braved torrential rain and gale-force winds to complete London’s ‘Run to the Beat’ half-marathon. The race started and finished at ...
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Concern mounts over justice budget cuts
The Law Society has entered the row over revelations that the government may be planning swingeing budget cuts to the justice system. President Paul Marsh voiced fears over the future of the Courts Service and warned justice secretary Jack Straw that legal aid is ‘already ...
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Regulation: 'There are no "no-go" areas' - Lord Hunt
Lord Hunt of Wirral has stressed that he has a ‘completely open mind’ on the likely outcome of his profession-wide review of regulation. The former cabinet minister, solicitor David Hunt, said he had agreed his own terms of reference for the exercise, which was commissioned by the Law Society. ...
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Judge intervenes as VHCC barristers' row rocks trial
A judge has stepped in to try to prevent a trial being derailed by the row over barristers’ refusal to do very high cost criminal cases (VHCC). Several defendants in a case listed for trial at Oxford Crown Court early next year have been unable to ...
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SRA eyes simplified higher rights plan
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has proposed a streamlined route for solicitors who wish to gain higher rights of audience. After last month dropping a plan to introduce voluntary accreditation, the SRA board has applied to the Ministry of Justice to close off the accreditation and ...
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Turnout looks to be low for Law Society's 'afiliate' ballot
Turnout for a Law Society ballot to create a new ‘affiliate’ category has been low, anecdotal evidence suggests. The postal ballot closes tomorrow. Affiliate status would be open to certain categories of non-solicitors working in the legal services market. Past President ...