News in focus – Page 14
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NewsNews focus: Autumn statement - what it means for solicitors
The chancellor’s announcement of a further real-terms cut to the justice budget has left the sector facing ‘systemic failure’, says the Law Society. There are no more ‘savings’ to be made.
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NewsNews focus: IBA 2022 - A letter from America
The cost-of-living crisis felt far removed from the lavish parties at the international bar conference, where delegates were reminded of the power and responsibility of working in the legal sector.
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NewsNews focus: COLPs and COFAs convene in Birmingham
A worsening economic climate was high on the agenda at the annual COLPs and COFAs conference – and delegates heard that a single regulator for legal services remains an aspiration at Westminster.
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NewsNews focus: MPs deliver blueprint for open justice
As MPs set out a bold vision for open justice incorporating AI transcription and court documents available via a digital portal, Sir Bob Neill declares that such access is ‘our democratic right’.
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NewsNews focus: Ukraine looms large at IBA conference
In a video address to the International Bar Association, Ukraine president calls on lawyers to bring to justice ‘those guilty of terror’ and declares ‘this is a chance to establish the force of international law’.
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NewsNews focus: Economic crime 'enablers' in bill committee's spotlight
MPs are ramping up the rhetoric on economic crime, amid fears new legislation to combat fraud does not go far enough. Lawyers are once again in their sights as ‘facilitators’ of illegal activity and tax dodging.
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NewsNews focus: Landmark report probes Black partner shortfall
Only 1% of partners at the country’s biggest firms identify as Black. A new report for Black History Month highlights some of the reasons why and offers a blueprint for action.
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NewsNews focus: HM Land Registry delays mount as solicitors fume
Conveyancers report mixed experiences when dealing with HM Land Registry but ‘shocking’ delays are a growing cause of concern. Solicitors complain that they are reduced to ‘firefighting’ for the agency.
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NewsNews focus: Post Office inquiry probes role played by lawyers
The Post Office Horizon Inquiry has begun poring over one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history – and the role played by in-house and external lawyers is under intense scrutiny.
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NewsNews focus: Outgoing Society president reflects on a groundbreaking tenure
‘We are the fourth emergency service, keeping the wheels of justice turning’, says the Law Society’s longest-serving president.
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NewsNews focus: 'Economic chaos' - should law firms be worried?
Law firms are insulated from economic shockwaves – until banks, other lenders and investors get cold feet. And profitable areas of work such as M&As could be hit as corporate clients retrench.
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NewsNews focus: Justice on the fringes at the Conservative conference
Justice and the rule of law didn’t get much of look-in at this year’s fraught Conservative party conference. But a hardy few still endeavoured to change the conversation.
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NewsNews focus: Law Society intervenes in the costs case of the century
The Law Society last week defended its 22-page model conditional fee agreement after senior judges questioned ‘impenetrable’ client documents in a landmark challenge on costs deduction
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NewsNews focus: Consolidators are keen for firms to keep their identity
The ‘house of brands’ approach to mergers and acquisitions – purchasing a firm and then allowing it to keep its brand and identity under an umbrella group – is gaining in popularity.
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NewsNews focus: Labour's justice agenda
Labour is honing its justice manifesto, with equality of arms at inquests top of the agenda. The party also set out its plans for neighbourhood policing and the courts. But what about legal aid?
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NewsNews focus: Conveyancers brace for SDLT uncertainty
Conveyancing solicitors who are still recovering from the last SDLT cut fear that a ‘quick-fix’ on stamp duty by the government will overheat the market and increase prices and mortgages
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NewsNews focus: Big Brother watch - time for intercept evidence to be admissible in court?
Intercepts remain inadmissible as evidence, which makes our jurisdiction an outlier. Is it time to allow their use, when this could boost transparency and build public confidence?
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NewsNews focus: All change at the MoJ - and expectations are limited
New justice secretary Brandon Lewis faces a daunting inbox, ranging from legal aid to court backlogs. And after threatening to breach international law, can he win over the profession?
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NewsNews focus: Universities step up to save Support Through Court
Former chief executive talks about the charity’s urgent campaign to raise money after the Ministry of Justice suddenly withdrew its funding.
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NewsNews focus: A white-collar wave of mesothelioma claims
Asbestos-related cancer is now hitting white-collar workers, 10 years after the first wave of claims began to subside.