Last 3 months headlines – Page 1739
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Lawyers blamed for negligence fees rise
Clinical negligence practitioners have hit back at claims they are fuelling a‘compensation culture’ by charging too much, after it emerged that the NHS’s bill for patients’ lawyers has more than doubled in the last four years. The NHS paid out £90.7m in costs to claimant solicitors ...
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JAC 'can change history'
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) ‘has the potential to alter the historical pattern of under-representation of certain groups among the judiciary’, but a broader range of people need to apply, the Employment Tribunals president said last week. Speaking at an event hosted by the Society of ...
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'Offer of amends' could lead to fewer libel cases at trial
The settlement of a high-profile libel case between supermarket giant Tesco and The Guardian newspaper will encourage the use of ‘offers of amends’ as an alternative to trials, libel lawyers said this week. Tesco Stores Ltd had sued Guardian News & Media Ltd ...
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Society stand on striking-off
The Law Society has reiterated its opposition to plans for Crown Court judges to be given powers to strike off solicitors charged with fraud, even when they have been acquitted of any offence. The Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, outlined the proposal in a consultation paper published ...
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Crisis set to spur consolidation
The collapse of Lehman Brothers amid turmoil on Wall Street will provide rich pickings for top firms but spell tough times for the rest, analysts have warned.
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Inquest cash gap fears
Inadequate levels of legal aid funding for inquests mean too many grieving families have to attend coroner’s court without representation, lawyers have warned. Amanda Stevens, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), criticised government proposals contained in a consultation, which closed last week, ...
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Poland: rule of law concerns
Continuing concerns about the Polish government’s interference in the rule of law have emerged in a new study by the International Bar Association. In a follow-up to its 2007 report Justice under Siege, the association commended efforts by the new government since last year’s election, ...
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Corporate counsel hit by crunch
The credit crunch has increased pressure on in-house counsel worldwide to prove their worth and thereby survive the economic downturn, according to a poll carried out by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). The results of the 2008 Global Challenge Survey, which will be presented ...
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Lawyers to advise professions group
An official body set up to advise the chancellor of the exchequer on future challenges facing the professional services sector is looking for input from lawyers. Michael Snyder, chairman of the professional services global competitiveness group, said last week that he would ‘welcome ideas from any of the legal professions’ ...
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Oil and gas deal
City firm Speechly Bircham advised corporate financiers and brokers Ambrian Partners on the reverse takeover of oil and gas exploration group BPC by Falkland Gold and Minerals, and the admission of the enlarged share capital to AIM. BPC was advised by City firm Norton Rose, national firm McGrigors, Jersey firm ...
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Making Waves
Paralympic sailor and former Obiter star Helena Lucas has achieved a top-ten place at the Paralympics in Qingdao. The GBR Skandia team member was the only female selected to race in the 2.4m fleet and she finished in seventh place overall. Lucas was sponsored by ...
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Mediation: lawyers still need convincing
When former Court of Appeal judge Sir Henry Brooke retired at the age 70, it was to embark on a new career. Two years on he is much in demand as a mediator, having already conducted more than 50 mediations, from high-profile corporate disputes to individuals at war over land ...
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Are you being served?
Robert Hill looks at the new regime for service of documents as outlined in the changes to the Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2008 The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2008 (S.I 2008 no 2178) come into force on 1 October. The most important change is to repeal ...
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A fraudster's charter?
Top judges are deeply concerned about plans to introduce 'plea negotiation' in fraud cases. A move to US-style ‘plea bargaining’ in fraud cases would undermine British justice, leading judges have told the government. The comments, from the Council of Circuit Judges, will ...
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At the whim of Westminster
A UK bill of rights is unlikely to come soon, but there is still hope for the future. It is a pity – if only for the future of the idea of a British bill of rights – that Labour’s electoral hopes look so dire. In ...
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South-west lawyers battle the credit crunch
A decade of benign growth has seen leading firms in south-west England attract national clients. It is getting tough on the high street, however. Polly Botsford reports. The outlook for the south-west can perhaps best be described as ‘bright sunshine, with a few dark clouds on ...
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Freedom of information
Requests to public authorities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoI) are becoming more challenging. Some authorities are even receiving requests about how they handle such requests.
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Family law
Civil procedure – Practice directions – Trial bundles – Sanctions for non-compliance – Identification of defaulters in open court Re X & Y (bundles): Fam Div (Mr Justice Munby): 22 August 2008
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Employment
Tax – Contracts of employment – Information technology – Provision of services through intermediary – IR35 Dragonfly Consultancy Ltd v Revenue & Customs Commissioners: Ch D (Mr Justice Henderson): 3 September 2008 ...
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Sentencing
Attempts – Kidnapping – Sentence length – Violent nature of offence R v Jason Matthew Eminson: CA (Crim Div) (Mr Justice Mitting, Mr Justice Tugendhat): 29 August 2008 The ...