Latest news – Page 682
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Last resort Lords
With regard to the news item of 29 September that the House of Lords will ‘fight the good fight’ - per Lord Carlile - am I the only legal aid family lawyer feeling distinctly underwhelmed?
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Bring on ‘Woolf II’, top judge urges
A leading judge has called for a second wave of civil justice reforms, encouraging better use of IT, and greater efforts to promote UK legal services internationally. Mr Justice Vos said the UK’s law and legal system are highly respected overseas, but ‘not enough is done ...
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Government’s mediation drive reflects ‘jaundiced’ view of law
The government’s drive to encourage mediation instead of court litigation is diverting attention from cuts to civil legal aid and the consequent reduction in access to justice, according to a leading academic. Professor Dame Hazel Genn told the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators' mediation symposium on Wednesday ...
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Liberty attacks ‘baffling’ review of extradition law
The Extradition Act under which British subject and Asperger’s syndrome sufferer Gary McKinnon faces being sent for trial in the US for computer hacking is not biased against British citizens, a landmark review has concluded. The review, published today by parliament’s human rights joint committee and ...
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Neuberger argues for greater use of IT in courts
Master of the rolls Lord Neuberger has backed the introduction of more electronic disclosure in court but stopped short of advocating ‘virtual trials’. Speaking at the high sheriff’s lecture in Leeds last week, Neuberger said the legal profession was facing change on a scale not seen ...
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Law Society Excellence Awards 2011: winners announced
The outstanding achievements of the legal profession in England and Wales were celebrated by the Law Society at a ceremony in London yesterday evening. Over 600 legal professionals and their guests joined the president of the Law Society John Wotton and BBC Broadcaster Mishal Husain ...
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Senior partners cool on social media
About two-thirds of law firms cannot find the time and resources to build and maintain a strong online presence, even though more than 75% have committed to using social media as a business tool, a survey of 50 law firms has found. RTS Media ...
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Bach seeks to scupper 10% legal aid fee cut
Former legal aid minister Lord Bach has tabled a House of Lords motion calling for the statutory instrument that introduced 10% cuts to legal aid lawyers’ fees this month to be annulled.
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Society calls for delay to legal aid bill
The Law Society today called on the government to delay passage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, after Jonathan Djanogly was stripped of responsibility for regulating claims management companies. The justice minister remains in charge of steering the controversial legislation through the ...
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Claims firms to become ‘advertising wing of ABSs’
Claims management companies have already agreed pre-contract deals with law firms to become alternative business structures (ABSs), according to their governing body.
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PC renewals update
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has today issued a statement informing solicitors that they will be able to renew their registration, recognition or practising certificate from 21 November. Solicitors are asked to visit the SRA site on 18 November, when the regulator will confirm whether or not ...
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Focus on new markets to survive house-buying collapse, conveyancers told
Residential conveyancers should focus on landlords and investors to survive the collapse in the traditional market, property lawyers were told this week. Yolande Barnes, director of residential research at estate agents Savills, told a Law Society property conference there is a ‘fundamental structural change’ in the ...
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Court officer is Bribery Act’s first catch
A court officer today pleaded guilty to taking a £500 bribe in the first prosecution under the 2010 Bribery Act. Munir Patel admitted the charge of bribery and misconduct in public office when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court. He will be ...
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Quality assurance scheme to go ahead from April
The architects of a scheme to assure the quality of criminal advocates say it is back on track to start in April 2012. The Joint Advocacy Group (JAG) said that the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates has been tweaked to ensure it ‘protects the public ...
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Litigants in person numbers soar
The dire state of the economy has already led to a dramatic increase in the number of litigants in person, new figures from a voluntary organisation suggest. This is before government cuts to civil legal aid come into effect, which many solicitors predict will trigger another huge rise.
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Keep ministers out of legal aid decisions - LSC
The chairman of the Legal Services Commission has warned of the risk of ministers intervening for political reasons in decisions about the granting of legal aid. Speaking at the Legal Aid Practitioners Group conference in Birmingham last week, Sir Bill Callaghan (pictured) expressed concerns that ...
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Spending cuts 'could threaten' innovative court
Spending cuts could threaten the future of the Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC), the judge behind the innovative institution has warned. He called for joined-up government to recognise the savings it makes.
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Extended opening hours could boost magistracy
Government plans to extend magistrates’ operating hours into evenings and weekends could increase the diversity of the magistracy, but should not be carried out at the expense of daytime sitting, according to the chair of the Magistrates’ Association. John Thornhill told the Gazette that justice minister ...
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Wales ponders Welsh law
The Welsh government is to start a public debate on separate legal jurisdiction for the principality. A green paper will be launched early in 2012, first minister Carwyn Jones told last week’s Legal Wales conference in Cardiff. In March, the people of Wales voted to ...
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MoJ faces further challenge over legal aid
The Ministry of Justice faces another legal challenge to its legal aid reforms. The charity Disability Law Service has applied for permission to start judicial review proceedings in relation to the removal of civil legal aid funding for welfare benefits cases. The charity argues the ...