Latest news – Page 791
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News
Co-op in new drive to promote legal services to food shoppers
The Co-operative Group is planning a new campaign to promote its legal services to food shoppers in its 3,000 supermarkets nationwide. The news came as the group, which aims to be one of the first alternative business structures, told the Gazette that it believes ‘the die ...
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Regional administrative courts issue more cases than expected
The new regional administrative courts have issued more cases than expected in their first year of operation, according to figures seen by the Gazette. In April 2009, the Administrative Court began to sit in four regional venues in Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds and Manchester to increase access ...
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Judicial mediation in Employment Tribunal cases falls short
Mediation provided by judges in Employment Tribunal cases has failed to achieve the anticipated time and cost savings over unmediated cases, the results of a pilot scheme have revealed. The Ministry of Justice piloted a judicial mediation service for Employment Tribunal discrimination cases which started between ...
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New civil legal aid contracts ‘will cause closures’
The new civil legal aid contracts could result in large numbers of family firms exiting the market and leave a single social welfare law provider in some areas, consultants have predicted. David Gilmour, founder of consultancy DG Legal, which specialises in legal aid, said: ‘I ...
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Solicitor concerns over ‘chaotic’ DSCC handover
The ‘chaotic’ handover to the new operator of the Defence Solicitor Call Centre (DSCC) may have left detainees unrepresented and caused firms to lose work, criminal solicitors have warned. On 1 April Ventura, one of the biggest call centre operators, took over the running of the ...
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CPS slows recruitment of in-house Crown advocates
Figures obtained by the Gazette have revealed a steep decline in the Crown Prosecution Service’s recruitment of in-house Crown advocates as an alternative to self-employed barristers. CPS figures show that the number of Crown advocates in the CPS increased by only nine in 2009/10, to 1,086.
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New brand to promote barristers’ services direct to the public
A new brand to promote barristers’ services directly to the public is due to launch this summer, the Gazette has learned. Ian Dodd, director of virtual chambers BarFutures, plans to launch the National Advocacy Network, aimed at promoting public access to the bar.
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Local government legal departments braced for cuts
Local government legal departments are braced for a double whammy of budget cuts and an increase in workload, exclusive research for the Gazette has revealed. The study also found that 61% of departments are considering reducing their use of external advisers. The ...
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Quinn to re-enter UK insurance market
Quinn Insurance has been given permission for a limited re-entry into the UK insurance market following an announcement by the Irish Financial Regulator yesterday. However, the relaxation of the regulator’s restrictions preventing Quinn from writing new business in the UK does not extend to solicitors’ professional ...
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Ending acrimony
Employment disputes must rank alongside family disputes as the most emotional proceedings a person can instigate. Both involve the potential breakdown of a relationship which may have lasted many years (or been expected to do so), and a situation where the loss of trust and confidence may leave a person ...
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State of the unions
Unlike my old classmate Chris Cox, director of legal services at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), I was delighted with the president’s response to the Damages-Based Agreements Regulations (DBAs) (see [2010] Gazette, 15 April, 11). At last there was official recognition of the true position of the unions on ...
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City partnership promotions unveiled
Major City firms announced a wave of partner promotions today, with 33 lawyers made up across the world. City firm Herbert Smith made up 18 lawyers, including 11 in London and three in Paris. The most promotions were in the firm’s energy practice (4). When the ...
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Co-op launches advertising campaign in legal services drive
The Co-operative Group is to launch a fresh campaign to promote its legal services to food shoppers in its 3,000 supermarkets nationwide. The news comes as the group, which aims to be one of the first alternative business structures, told the Gazette that it believes ‘the ...
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News
Call for opening up of search data
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has called on the government to consult on legislation requiring local authorities to provide open and free access to property information. In a ‘manifesto’ published last week, CoPSO said councils were arbitrarily restricting access to data and ‘urgent action’ ...
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‘No action needed’ on Quinn Insurance
The Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Society have both issued statements reassuring Quinn Insurance policyholders that they do not need to take action after permanent administrators were appointed to the Irish insurer yesterday. The SRA said that the full administration of Quinn under Irish ...
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Power in a union
I was dismayed to read the remarks about trade unions attributed to the president of the Law Society when he wrote to the shadow justice secretary inviting a future Conservative government to repeal immediately the Damages-Based Agreements Regulations.
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Recipe for fraud
The Law Society’s insert in the 25 March Gazette highlighted the issue of fraud in relation to money laundering and mortgages. To my mind it beggars belief that, in the same issue, it is reported that the Land Registry is consulting (again) on electronic signatures and ...
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New housing association, retail acquisitions and manufacturer deals
Going Dutch: National firm DLA Piper advised a consortium of lenders on providing debt financing for Dutch retail group Maxeda, enabling it to pay €462.5m (£408m) of debt owed to Citibank. Maxeda and its shareholders were advised by ...
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Most City firms would welcome AIR regulation
Most City firms would welcome a new type of self-regulation being introduced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, but two ‘major City firms’ have said they would probably shun the new system, research seen exclusively by the Gazette has found. Authorised Internal Regulation (AIR) was proposed by ...
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In-house upgrade at SABMiller
One of the UK’s biggest listed companies is conducting a major upgrade of its in-house legal capabilities because it believes that the legal pressures on business have escalated, its general counsel said this week. John Davidson (pictured), general counsel and group company secretary at brewer SABMiller, ...