All News articles – Page 1371
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News
SRA rebuffed over fining powers
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is reviewing its options after the Ministry of Justice declined its request for tougher fining powers against ‘traditional’ law firms. In May, the regulator applied to the MoJ to have the maximum fine it can impose on law firms raised from £2,000 ...
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PC renewal system makes further progress
More than 1,000 practising certificate renewals were approved within five days of the 2012 process opening, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said this week, despite a software bug causing frustration in the first days. Registration through the mySRA website opened on 1 November for solicitors renewing ...
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Goodbye to the profession
I must agree with David Kirwan’s comments regarding the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates.
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Immigration
Asylum seeker – Appeal – Fresh claim – Claimant being refused asylum from Sri Lanka R (on the application of Sathasivam) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: Queen's Bench Division, Administrative Court (London) (Judge Mackie QC (judgment ...
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PII warning over unrated insurers
Cash-strapped law firms have been driven to obtaining professional indemnity insurance from unrated insurers this year, risking regulatory sanctions where an insurer becomes insolvent, a leading broker and the Law Society have warned. Unrated firms, listed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, are those without a ...
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Intellectual property
Database rights – Infringement – Confidential information British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and others v Digital Satellite Warranty Cover Ltd (in liquidation): Chancery Division (Sir William Blackburne): 1 October 2012 ...
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Memory lane
The Law Society’s Gazette, 11 November 1992Audience rights: the next step After a short debate, the Law Society’s Council last week approved an application for solicitor audience rights in the higher courts. The final draft – which covers both solicitors in private practice and employed solicitors ...
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New York offices reopen post-Sandy
New York lawyers are back at work after the city’s battering last week by ‘superstorm’ Sandy. Some firms were forced to close after the storm left offices and homes without power and caused staff to be evacuated from their homes or stranded without public transport. Clifford ...
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Running into the sand
David O’Dwyer, assistant solicitor in the real estate department at commercial firm Memery Crystal, finished 10th in a race last week. So what? It was the Sahara Race – a 150-mile run (equivalent to more than six marathons) over seven days. In the Sahara. Carrying all your own food ...
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PII market shrinks as firms shop around
Law firms appear to have shopped around more in 2012 than in previous years as they spent £240m on professional indemnity insurance. The leading three insurers’ share of the market fell from 43% to 38%, according to figures released by the Solicitors Regulation Authority today. XL ...
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Forensic science: the police piper calls the tune
Alistair Logan provides a powerful account of the disturbing consequences of the enforced closure of the Forensic Science Service (FSS). We, who were members of the FSS until its closure, write to amplify the concerns that he expressed.
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Claims managers to cough up more for regulation
The government is to raise fees for claims management regulation as it prepares for an exodus of companies from the market. The Ministry of Justice, which regulates claims management companies (CMCs), plans to raise application fees in 2013/14 by 47% and remove the current cap on ...
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Digital by default
For some reason it failed to top the world’s news agenda, but yesterday the government announced a revolution in the way it interacts with citizens and businesses. The Cabinet Office published a strategy for Whitehall to go ‘digital by default’, meaning that Amazon-style online transactions will finally replace paper forms, ...
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ABS takes the high road to Scottish market
Recent alternative business structure convert Parabis has announced a move into the Scottish market. The firm says its expansion has been driven by demand from clients in England and Wales and is reflective of a changing legal profession in Scotland. The new Parabis office in Glasgow ...
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Teaching lawyers not to be shy
Is shyness holding you back in your legal career? Whether it’s a networking event, a meeting, a public speaking opportunity or even a pitch to a new client – all of these can be painful experiences if you are very shy. And if you are avoiding ...
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PC renewal system working ‘quite well’ after initial bug
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has admitted that a software bug caused the ‘volume issues’ that prevented some solicitors from renewing their practising certificates through the mySRA website last week. The regulator said that the problem had been resolved and that extra capacity will be added to ...
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Plea for unification of international legal bodies
I spent some days last week in Dresden at the annual conference of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA), which - with the International Bar Association (IBA) - is one of the two organisations serving lawyers worldwide. What I want to know is: why must there be two?
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Which? welcomes new civil court powers
Consumer charity Which? has welcomed government proposals to give courts new powers to provide redress for consumers. Executive director Richard Lloyd said plans outlined in a consultation on civil enforcement remedies ‘should help ensure consumers are no longer left out of pocket if they ...
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‘No guarantees’ RTA Portal will be ready for new role
The operator of the RTA Portal has said there are ‘no guarantees’ that changes needed to extend the claims system’s scope will be completed by the government’s April 2013 implementation date. Changes to the electronic claims system are being made to meet the Ministry of Justice’s ...
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Company service business takes ABS route
Legal Clarity, a Birmingham-based business offering drafting and company secretarial services to ‘accountants, solicitors and entrepreneurs’, is one of the latest batch of organisations to win approval as an alternative business structure (ABS). It said registration, which became effective on 1 November, would allow ...