All News articles – Page 1463

  • News

    Relationship management to be limited to big firms

    2011-10-21T00:00:00Z

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority has given more details of its implementation strategy for outcomes-focused regulation. Its Relationship Management approach to risk-based supervision is to be rolled out to larger firms, after a pilot found that small firms did not require interaction with the regulator on ...

  • News

    Solicitors From Hell slander action is thrown out

    2011-10-21T00:00:00Z

    The High Court has thrown out a defamation claim by the founder of the Solicitors from Hell website against Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson. Rick Kordowski began legal proceedings after a blog from Professor John Flood had alleged that Hudson claimed Kordowski was a ‘criminal’. ...

  • News

    New revolt on advocacy accreditation

    2011-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Solicitor advocates have condemned plans to roll out the ‘bar-centric’ and potentially ‘unlawful’ Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) next April. More than 200 attended a meeting in London this week to voice their opposition to the ‘deeply flawed’ scheme, which some claim is ‘designed ...

  • News

    In the saddle

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    With the retirement of Newmarket jockey Phillip Robinson at 50, my mind went back to the bearded solicitor Victor Morley Lawson. He had tried to ride a winner for 30 years until, at the age of 67, he won on Ocean King in the last race - an amateur hurdle ...

  • News

    Relief

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Practice - Pre-trial or post-judgment relief - Freezing order JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov and others: Queen's Bench Division, Commercial Court (Mr Justice Clarke): 4 October 2011 The Commercial Court ...

  • News

    Pension pot

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Obiter recently happened upon the Law Society’s 1877 annual report, where he was intrigued to read that the Society’s librarian was to retire after 30 years’ service, aged 79, with a ‘pension, equal to the amount of his salary, which was £300 a year’.

  • News

    Magic touch

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    A Harry Potter book autographed by Emma Watson (who played Hermione Granger) tops a glittering list of prizes in the London Legal Support Trust’s Halloween Auction. Watson has also thrown in an autographed DVD set and a signed photo.

  • News

    Last resort Lords

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    With regard to the news item of 29 September that the House of Lords will ‘fight the good fight’ - per Lord Carlile - am I the only legal aid family lawyer feeling distinctly underwhelmed?

  • News

    Human rights

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Insolvency - Voluntary arrangement - Approval by creditors Kapoor v National Westminster Bank and another: Court of Appeal, Civil Division (Lords Justice Pill, Etherton, Sir Mark Potter): 5 October 2011 ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Right to a fair trial - Right of access to a lawyer - Statement or admissions made to police without access to legal advice Ambrose v Harris (Procurator Fiscal Oban) (Scotland) and other appeals: SC (Justices of the Supreme ...

  • News

    Mental health

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Court of Protection - Practice LG v DK: Court of Protection (Sir Nicholas Wall): 5 October 2011 The Court of Protection held that section 21(4) of the Family Law Reform ...

  • News

    The start of the legal year gives us an opportunity to ponder what the future holds

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    The formal opening of the legal year (OLY) gives the profession an opportunity to reflect on the fundamental principles of access to justice and the rule of law. For the Law Society, it is not only a time to rededicate ourselves to those principles, but a time to pause, reflect ...

  • News

    FSA told to rethink on legal privilege

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    The Financial Services Authority has been urged to review its operating procedures after it was found to have acted unlawfully in its use of legally privileged material during an enforcement investigation. The regulator had successfully applied to the High Court for its own nominated administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers ...

  • News

    Financial Services

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Financial Services Authority (FSA) - Regulation of financial services - Collapse of hedge fund Visser and another v Financial Services Authority: Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber) (Mr Justice Bishopp, Keith Palmer, Terence Carter): 9 August 2011 ...

  • News

    European Union

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Services - Freedom of movement - Television broadcasting Football Association Premier League Ltd and others v QC Leisure and others: ECJ (Grand Chamber): Judges Skouris (president), Tizzano, Cunha Rodrigues, Lenaerts, Bonichot, Arabadjiev and Kasel (presidents of chambers), Borg Barthet, ...

  • News

    Estoppel

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Equitable estoppel - Contract - Claimant company providing mortgage funds to company owned by first defendant Paragon Mortgages Ltd v McEwan-Peters and another: Queen's Bench Division, Commercial Court (Mr Justice David Steel): 3 October 2011 ...

  • News

    Are solicitors really living through the ‘end times’ for law as they have known it?

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    In his memoir Editor, journalist and author Max Hastings mused on the difference, as he saw it, between readers of the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. Mail readers, he observed, woke every morning and opened their paper of choice to find that the world had altered irretrievably for the ...

  • News

    Government’s mediation drive reflects ‘jaundiced’ view of law

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    The government’s drive to encourage mediation instead of court litigation is diverting attention from cuts to civil legal aid and the consequent reduction in access to justice, according to a leading academic. Professor Dame Hazel Genn told the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators' mediation symposium on Wednesday ...

  • News

    Gravy train derailed

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    I note with interest that the Solicitors Regulation Authority is to canvass personal injury firms to ask how they will cope when the government bans referral fees. I would suggest that they cope by ceasing to chase the gravy train and actually exercise business and professional judgement.

  • News

    Criminal evidence

    2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Disclosure - Conspiracy to defraud electoral registration officer R v Khan and others: Court of Appeal, Criminal Division (Lord Justice Pitchford, Mr Justice Wilkie, Mr Justice Holroyde): 7 October 2011 ...