Latest news – Page 684
-
News
Family lawyers renew attack on ‘devastating’ legal aid cuts
Removing legal aid for private family cases could lead to thousands of children losing contact with a parent and many families being left dependant on welfare benefits, family lawyers warn today. In a renewed attack on provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of ...
-
News
Legal aid cuts are false economy, says study
Planned cuts to legal aid in private family work, social welfare law and clinical negligence will save less than half the sum predicted by the government, according to an independent economic study published today. The Law Society’s chief executive, Desmond Hudson, said the report’s findings ‘fatally undermine’ Ministry of Justice ...
-
News
European and US lawyers warn IMF on threats to independence
Two bodies representing 1.4m lawyers across Europe and the US have formally warned the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that reforms imposed as part of economic rescue measures could undermine the independence of the legal profession.
-
News
Quality hallmark for HSBC’s conveyancing mini-panel
HSBC has established a conveyancing panel of solicitors and licensed conveyancers to provide legal services to its residential mortgage customers. Solicitor member firms must have the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation. The panel, managed by Countrywide, will launch on Monday across the UK. Of ...
-
News
Profits flat at Allen & Overy
Relocating staff to a single central London site cost magic circle firm Allen & Overy almost £25m, it has emerged. The full cost of the move was revealed in its LLP annual report and financial statements for 2010/11. The one-off outlays meant that continuing costs rose ...
-
News
Bias shown by barrister-judges is certain to compromise advocacy accreditation
It is no surprise to me that the bar insists on judicial evaluation of advocates. When the barrister-judge starts the trial in open court by offering the solicitor-advocate his spare wig, you have little doubt of the bias that we will endure at the hands of many barrister-judges within the ...
-
News
Open mind on ADR
Alan Langleben appears to have misread my earlier letter. I entirely approve of mediation as a means to dispose of cases efficiently and economically - indeed, my firm is closely involved with mediation companies in the region, and actively promotes alternative dispute resolution to our ...
-
News
Mediation dilemma
In response to Edward Foster’s letter, we have had a similar situation with regard to alternative dispute resolution. A, B and C were in partnership. A left the partnership and signed a termination agreement. B and C subsequently incurred a liability and asked A to contribute what they considered was ...
-
News
Short memory
Let me say at the outset, I am not a luddite. My firm is quite happy to work in a paperless environment and we have for many years been asking the Crown Prosecution Service why we cannot receive evidence by electronic means. In fact, our first request mentioned floppy disks!
-
News
Pay back time
I cannot agree with Franklin Sinclair who wrote: ‘I can’t leave a young lad with mental health problems unrepresented, so I have to do it for free.’
-
News
SRA ‘ready and waiting’ for ABSs
Applications by firms to become alternative business structures (ABSs) could take up to nine months to process, the Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed this week. The SRA, which on Tuesday became a licensing authority after two years of preparation, said it is ‘ready and waiting’ to accept forms from new entrants ...
-
News
Everyman Legal launches franchise scheme
Solicitors are to be offered the chance to set up their own practices under a franchise scheme launched today by commercial firm Everyman Legal. The firm, which in October became the first practice to target a stock exchange listing, will support members through its marketing and back-office systems.
-
News
CBA self-interest
The Criminal Bar Association says that there are three ‘bottom line, non-negotiable elements’ in respect of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA).
-
News
Flexible protocol
I write regarding your article on the launch of the Flexible Working Protocol. You may be interested in knowing a few more details about our firm - a working example of how flexible working can be successful.
-
News
Email ‘bugbear’
A recent Gazette drew attention to the writer’s ‘bugbear’ with emails - that many senders of them fail to quote his reference. I can’t say I agree. On the contrary, one delight with emails is precisely that you can send them straight to the correct ...
-
News
Lawyers named in honours list
The Queen’s solicitor and the former terror laws watchdog were among the lawyers recognised in the New Year honours list. Mark Bridges, partner at London firm Farrer & Co, was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for his work as personal solicitor to the Queen. ...
-
News
Lord Falconer slams assisted dying law
A thinktank led by former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer (pictured) has called the law on assisted dying ‘inadequate and incoherent’. In a report published today, the Commission on Assisted Dying concludes that the law can be reformed without endangering protections for vulnerable people. The report’s ...
-
News
Leveson plea on ‘either way’ offences
The chairman of the Sentencing Council has called on magistrates to send fewer ‘either way’ offences to the Crown court. The number of such cases reaching the Crown court rose from 310,000 in 2007 to 353,000 in 2010. Lord Justice Leveson told the House of Commons ...
-
News
Retention rate for trainees up
The number of trainees staying with their firms after qualifying recovered in 2011 after a two-year dip, according to a survey of more than 120 commercial firms. The Chambers Student Guide found that 1,813 of the 2,251 trainees who qualified in 2011 stayed on. That retention ...
-
News
Large law firms 'not paying carbon tax'
Some of the country’s largest law firms do not pay any carbon tax, while smaller competitors are facing bills of £50,000 a year or more, according to new research. City firm Herbert Smith (pictured right), with 700 lawyers in London, pays no carbon tax, compared with ...