Latest news – Page 718
-
News
Big-hitters join Society’s Human Rights Committee
Seven new members have joined the Law Society's Human Rights Committee to help highlight, challenge and condemn human rights abuses across the world. They are: Immigration solicitor Shanti Faiia of City firm Laura Devine. Faiia was previously with the United Nations development programme and the Sri ...
-
News
Legal Services Board reveals high level of ABS interest
The Legal Services Board has seen a high level of interest from banks and private equity houses in the run-up to the introduction of alternative business structures, its chair David Edmonds told the Gazette in an interview last week. Edmonds, who was reappointed for a further ...
-
News
ASA rejects complaint about QualitySolicitors TV advert
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has rejected a complaint made by a Yorkshire firm about a television advert for law firm network QualitySolicitors. Williamsons in Hull had challenged the content of the advert, claiming that it was misleading. The advert showed an ...
-
News
APIL’s new president pledges to campaign for rights of injured
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) will campaign with other claimant organisations against government plans to make injured people pay for legal fees out of their own compensation, the association’s new president will tell delegates at the APIL annual conference later this week. Bott & ...
-
News
QualitySolicitors in WHSmith tie-up
QualitySolicitors has signed a deal with WHSmith enabling it to place a QS member of staff in 150 branches of the high street books and stationery giant, the Gazette can reveal. The deal will see QS open a ‘legal access point’ staffed by a local QS ...
-
News
Employment lawyers see surge in disputes
Employment solicitors have seen a surge in clients seeking advice on work-related disputes, according to figures seen by the ...
-
News
Dominic Grieve set for Minority Lawyers Conference
Attorney general Dominic Grieve and influential Islamic thinker Tariq Ramadan will join a line-up of high-profile speakers at tomorrow’s Minority Lawyers Conference at the Law Society in London. The biennial conference, organised jointly by the Law Society, Bar Council and Institute of Legal Executives, celebrates ...
-
News
Profession helps law schools to step up pro bono advice
The number of law schools offering pro bono legal advice has risen significantly thanks to a boost in support from solicitors, a report published this week has found. The report by pro bono charity LawWorks showed a 40% increase over the last five years in the ...
-
News
RBS offers legal documentation to small business clients
The Royal Bank of Scotland launched a product that will provide legal documentation and advice to its small business customers this week. The service, Smarta Business Builder, incorporates a range of online accounting, business and legal services, with legal software provided by Epoq. ...
-
News
Anybody listening?
I took part in the recent consultation exercise concerning the Jackson proposals for the reform of civil litigation. The government has now published its response. As far as I can see, the Jackson proposals will be fully implemented. There is ...
-
News
Definition of CHIS
Ibrahim Hasan may have misstated the position when he wrote that a witness on a housing estate who discloses information about anti-social behaviour is considered a covert human intelligence source. In his thoughtful and useful article, he states that section 29(8) of the Regulation of Investigatory ...
-
News
Foolish to follow US
Bill Jackson in his letter ‘Time to adopt US libel model’ argues that we should adopt one aspect of the US libel law model – namely the requirement for a claimant to prove malice in cases involving public figures – and commends that model to us. ...
-
News
Quality concern
Susan Humble, clerk to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, states in her letter ‘Checks and balances’ that: ‘Statistically, only a small proportion of SDT decisions are appealed and it speaks volumes for the quality of the decision-making process that its decisions are overturned in very few cases.’
-
News
Respect has to be earned
Fascinated as I was by District Judge Paul Mildred’s article ‘Conduct unbecoming in our courts’, I can’t help but think he has misdirected himself. Respect can be demanded, but, in my experience, is given only when it is earned. ...
-
News
News focus: responses to the Jackson consultation on civil costs
The Ministry of Justice consultation on the implementation of Lord Justice Jackson’s (pictured) recommendations on reforming civil litigation and funding costs closed on 14 February. Six weeks later, we have the government’s response to the 600 submissions it received. They must be speed-readers at the MoJ. ...
-
News
Legal Ombudsman is 'consumer-unfriendly'
The Legal Ombudsman was last week accused by a consumer watchdog of capitulating to ‘spurious objections from the legal profession’, after announcing plans for a ‘staged approach’ to publishing information about complaints against law firms. In the first part of a three-stage approach, LeO has begun ...
-
News
Family lawyers welcome 'ambitious' Justice Review Panel plans
Family lawyers have welcomed the ‘ambitious’ proposals published by the Family Justice Review Panel last week, but warned that the changes will not work unless there is adequate funding. The Law Society and Family Law Bar Association supported the interim recommendations of the panel, which ...
-
News
Money laundering rules to be relaxed for solicitors
Solicitors will no longer need to fear criminal conviction for minor due diligence errors such as keeping an out-of-date passport on file, the Law Society said last week, as the government announced plans to reduce the regulatory burden attached to anti-money laundering obligations. Chancery Lane said ...
-
News
Legal Services Board rebuffs Djanogly on ILEX rights
The Legal Services Board has dismissed a call by justice minister Jonathan Djanogly for it to consult more widely on proposals to extend the rights of legal executives to conduct litigation and appear in court. Last week, Djanogly told the House of Commons that an application ...
-
News
Carlisle solicitor admits fraud
A former Carlisle solicitor is awaiting sentence after admitting a £250,000 fraud. Pauline Lesley Butler, who worked as a sole practitioner at her firm Pauline L Butler in Carlisle, pleaded guilty at Carlisle Crown Court last week to charges of fraud and false accounting. ...