All News articles – Page 1449
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News
‘SupplyCo’ could help barristers get work back from solicitor-advocates
A new business model allowing barristers to accept instructions through an agency route could help the bar claw back work from solicitor-advocates, a legal consultant has suggested. John Binks (pictured) of the Bar Consultancy Network, a former manager at the Legal Services Commission, said a ‘SupplyCo’ model would give barristers ...
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Having a ball
Tony Roe Solicitors, a divorce and family law specialist based in Theale, Reading, is the latest recruit to Obiter’s Brighter Window campaign. The firm’s logo, a rubberband ball, can be seen bouncing across its frontage, the firm’s head, Tony Roe, tells us. ‘The firm’s windows were ...
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Don’t bank on loyalty
My firm, along with thousands of others, is no longer on the HSBC panel. As a result of the ludicrous volume of enquiries being raised by the bank’s preferred lawyers for this area in a case I am currently involved in, and because of the unrealistic and unworkable undertakings which ...
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Legal training: the best routes to becoming a lawyer
Abolishing the concept of the qualifying law degree, more common training for prospective lawyers, replacing the training contract with ‘supervised practice’ and sector-wide CPD – just some of the ‘more radical’ ideas being considered by the profession-wide Legal Education and Training Review (LETR). But just ...
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SRA dubbed ‘institutionally racist’ by Society of Black Lawyers chair
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to face accusations of being ‘institutionally racist’ and of abusing its powers to the detriment of solicitors from ethnic minorities. In a hard-hitting report to the Legal Services Board, seen by the Gazette, the Society of Black Lawyers accuses the ...
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Pro bono: are lawyers leading the way?
Working at the National Pro Bono Centre I get to observe a large portion of the organised pro bono activities undertaken by members of the legal profession. One of the first things that struck me when I started working as a caseworker at LawWorks was the scale of the volunteer ...
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Boycott injustice
Congratulations for publishing the comment by Melanie Strickland on the need for lawyers to consider more basic principles of justice than the law presently allows. The letter from David Enright on the ‘justice equation’ in the same edition alerts us to more immediate needs as well.
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Fraud fears over RTA portal fee cap
Claimant solicitors have reacted with concern to government proposals to cap at £300 the fee for low-value road traffic claims handled through the RTA portal. The proposal emerged at roundtable discussions on the future of the portal with justice minister Jonathan Djanogly (pictured) last Thursday. ...
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Carry on doctor
With reference to Jerry Pearlman’s letter of 8 March, the lady who first taught me German, on learning that I was a ‘rechtsanwalt’, insisted on calling me ‘Herr Doktor’ because she said that was how all lawyers are addressed in Germany and, as viewers of Inspector Montalbano will know, it ...
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Firms ‘must diversify to survive’ urges City investor
A City investor in the legal profession has urged firms to diversify if they want to survive. Rob Terry, founder and chief executive of the Quindell Group, which moved to acquire Liverpool personal injury firm Silverbeck Rymer in January, said multi-disciplinary practices are the best ...
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Civil procedure
Practice - Striking out - Claimant bringing claim for damages and permanent non-disclosure injunction Giggs (previously known as CTB) v News Group Newspapers Ltd and another: Queen's Bench Division (Mr Justice Tugendhat): 2 March 2012 ...
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LeO plans rise in compensation maximum
The Legal Ombudsman is planning a 66% rise – to £50,000 – in the maximum amount of compensation it can force lawyers to pay clients who receive poor service. It also plans a six-fold increase – to six years – in the time limit within which clients can lodge a ...
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News
Deputy district judge competition hit by IT glitches
Technical problems may have disadvantaged some candidates in the heavily oversubscribed deputy district judge competition, it has been alleged. The deputy district judge (magistrates’ court) selection exercise last October elicited nearly 1,500 applications for 28 vacancies – 54 candidates for each post.
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Jackson warns of compulsory electronic era
Solicitors may be forced to file documents electronically and use other IT systems to support the civil litigation reforms. Lord Justice Jackson, the reforms’ architect, devoted his 13th lecture on the reforms’ implementation last week to call for an integrated courts IT system – and ...
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Legal services outperform groceries at the Co-op
Legal services provided a better profit margin than traditional retailing activities at the Co-op last year. The group reported this morning that operating profits from its legal services rose by 15% during 2011, far outperforming the business as a whole. Co-operative Legal Services (CLS), which ...
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News
Report urges reform of human rights court
Ministers from 47 European states must agree plans to reform the human rights court in Strasbourg before pressure for the UK to withdraw from its jurisdiction becomes ‘irresistible’, a member of the government’s Commission on Human Rights has said. The UK’s chairmanship of the Council of ...
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Criminal law
Human rights - Suicide - Liability for complicity in another’s suicide - Claimant being paralysed Nicklinson v Ministry of Justice: QBD (Mr Justice Charles): 12 March 2012 The claimant was ...