Latest news – Page 715
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Solicitor denies legal aid fraud charges
A criminal defence solicitor accused of defrauding the legal aid fund along with two business associates this week told the court that he did not know ‘how all this has happened’. Solicitor Reuben Ewujowoh (pictured), 44, principal at Rae & Co in Southwark, London, and ...
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NHS 'above the law' in legal aid reforms
The government is putting the NHS ‘above the law’ with its proposed legal aid reforms and changes to the ‘no win, no fee’ arrangements, the Gazette has been told. Paul Rumley, clinical negligence partner at Withy King’s Swindon office, said the legal aid cuts and reform ...
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Lawyers march for London Pride 2011
More than 100 lawyers marched in support of London Pride 2011 last week. Members of the Law Society, Bar Council, Institute of Legal Executives, Junior Lawyers Division, Bar Lesbian and Gay Group, Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association and InterLaw Diversity Forum marched together under the ...
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Society appoints new SRA board members
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced the appointment of three new members to its board. They are solicitor member Moni Mannings, partner and head of City firm Olswang's finance group; lay member Shamit Sagger, professor of politics at the University of Sussex and former chair of ...
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FSA finds no evidence of insurer bias against BME firms
An investigation by the Financial Services Authority has found no evidence that insurers discriminated against black and ethnic minority law firms during last year’s professional indemnity insurance renewal. Following interventions from the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Equality and Human Rights Commission, the FSA was asked to ...
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LGBT lawyers believe judicial selection process is discriminatory
Some 70% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) lawyers believe that the judicial selection process discriminates against them, while the same proportion say they would be likely to apply for a judicial role themselves if there were more existing judges who were openly gay, according to a report published ...
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Olswang to draft code of conduct for News of the World owner
Media law firm Olswang has been drafted in by News International to draw up a new code of conduct, it has confirmed. The media organisation, which owns the ...
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Society calls for safeguards in bail legislation
The Law Society has urged the home secretary to consider safeguards to the emergency bail legislation about to go through parliament to prevent abuse of the bail system by police. The emergency legislation has been prompted by a High Court ruling in the case of murder ...
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Top-100 firms concerned by Legal Services Act reforms
Top law firms are coming under increasing pressure from clients to reduce fees, a poll has revealed, while a growing number fear that Legal Services Act reforms will pose a risk to profits. Finance directors from the top-100 UK firms, surveyed by legal information provider Sweet ...
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Call for political involvement in judicial appointments
Political involvement in the appointment of judges is needed to bring about a more diverse judiciary, a leading academic told a House of Lords constitution committee inquiry into the fairness and effectiveness of the present judicial appointments system today. Experts also said suggested that widening the ...
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Clifford Chance partner profits top £1m
Profits per equity partner (PEP) at magic circle firm Clifford Chance have topped £1m for the first time since the recession. The end-of-year figures released today by the Canary Wharf-based firm showed revenues were up for the last financial year to £1.22bn, up just 2% on ...
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Legal Ombudsman publishes complaints against firms
The Legal Ombudsman has begun publishing anonymous case studies as part of a drive to improve client service and complaints-handling by law firms. The published complaints have been broken down into areas of law. Complaints revealed so far include a criminal defendant ...
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Society formally urges Clarke to ban referral fees
The Law Society has written to justice secretary Kenneth Clarke urging him to act immediately to ban referral fees, after he revealed last week that he is ‘considering’ the issue. Society president Linda Lee said she had met with Clarke and minister for employment Chris Grayling ...
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Human rights lawyers warn against CFA reform
High-profile cases against multinational corporations may have to be scrapped under the government’s new litigation regime, lawyers suggested today. Human rights lawyers warned they will not be able to afford to take on as many cases in the world’s poorest countries without the Conditional Fee Arrangement ...
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Government will not remove police station advice, Djanogly pledges
The government has no intention of removing legal help from people detained at police stations, justice minister Jonathan Djanogly confirmed today. Speaking at the Legal Action Group’s conference in London, he said that although the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill would enable the ...
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Companies warned over Bribery Act
Companies have been warned there will be no ‘grace period’ after the Bribery Act comes into force from today. Strict new rules will reform the antiquated UK laws and clamp down on the bribery of public officials and corporate executives. Individuals found ...
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Solicitors join London Pride march
The Law Society has called on solicitors to join it in marching at London Pride 2011 this Saturday to celebrate diversity in the legal profession. The Law Society, Bar Council, Institute of Legal Executives, Junior Lawyers Division, Bar Lesbian and Gay Group, Lesbian and Gay Lawyers ...
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Conveyancing Quality Scheme applications pass 1,000
The Law Society has received more than 1,000 applications for its Conveyancing Quality Scheme, it said today. Some 1,034 applications have been submitted since the scheme opened in January, and 317 have been accredited so far. Law Society president Linda Lee ...
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Restricting arrests for crimes of universal jurisdiction is more about politics than legal principles
Joshua Rozenberg is ready to support ‘reasons of state’ for restricting the right to ask a magistrate to authorise the first step in the private prosecution of a suspected war criminal.
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A criminal expense
I would like to make a comment in the debate about government legal aid cuts. There should be a distinction between criminal and civil legal aid. To my knowledge, criminal legal aid has always been dealt with differently. ...