All News articles – Page 1471
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News
The SRA is adamant that ‘outcomes-focused’ does not mean ‘light-touch’
‘Principles-based regulation will sustain the current, rigorous regulatory environment, but with better and more effective outcomes.’ No, that’s not what the SRA says about today’s implementation of outcomes-focused regulation - but what the Financial Services Authority said about its own switch to an ‘outcome-focused’ compliance ...
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News
Advocacy accreditation scheme back on track
Plans to introduce the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) are back on track. The Ministry of Justice and Legal Services Commission yesterday confirmed that Crown court advocacy fees for publicly funded criminal cases will not be linked to the level of accreditation gained under the new scheme.
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Premier Property Lawyers becomes first firm to register as an ABS
Premier Property Lawyers (PPL) has become the first firm to register as an alternative business structure, taking advantage of the new rules that came into force today. The Leicester-based firm provides the conveyancing service for myhomemove and is one of the largest conveyancing firms in the ...
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News
Tap on the shoulder
We note with interest the article on judicial appointments, including the list of forthcoming vacancies and the statement by the chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission that his job is to make the process of selecting judges transparent and fair, so that the very best person is appointed to the ...
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Many law firms remain ‘reluctant’ to outsource
Outsourcing is ‘key’ to the survival of many UK law firms, but a lot of them are failing to act, according to a new survey. The poll of 169 firms showed that 77% believe outsourcing business processes would help them compete against big brands entering the ...
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News
Ireland set to embrace ‘Tesco Law’
The Republic of Ireland is planning to liberalise its legal services market, with the government there poised to publish a bill introducing Clementi-style reforms. The Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011, expected within the next week, will seek to establish independent regulation of the Irish legal professions; ...
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News
Criminal justice system ‘wasteful’, says Law Society report
Better procedures and improved communication between prosecution and defence could reduce delays and waste in the criminal justice system, according to a Law Society report. The paper, published today, proposes various measures to improve efficiency in the criminal justice system, in particular through the use of ...
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News
Djanogly hails court closure programme
Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly has promised to forge ahead with the government’s court closure programme, after being encouraged by early results. Speaking to a Law Society fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference, Djanogly revealed that around a third of the 142 planned closures have already ...
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News
A new type of client
I am sure the Legal Ombudsman has lots of statistics to support his recently reported statement: ‘People seem to be largely intimidated and in awe of their lawyers and are uncomfortable about challenging them about their legal expenses, which in some cases have increased for no good reason.’ ...
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News
Solicitors should ‘get real’ over legal aid cuts, says Tory MP
An influential Tory MP yesterday condemned The Law Society’s claim that people will die as a result of legal aid cuts as 'irresponsible'. Ben Gummer, a member of the House of Commons committee scrutinising the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LASPO), was speaking ...
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News
Chancery Lane launches action over committal fee reforms
The Law Society has launched a legal challenge against the government over criminal legal aid fees. Chancery Lane has sent a letter before action to the Ministry of Justice over its decision to abolish the committal fee in either way cases in publicly funded criminal ...
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News
Withdrawal of medical treatment
Cases involving the withdrawal of medical treatment or, in some cases, the use of medical treatment against the wishes of a child or an adult without capacity are some of the most emotive cases that come before courts. There is a natural and widespread interest from members of the public ...
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News
Tories get tough on criminals who refuse to meet victims
The Conservatives want to impose tougher sentences on criminals who refuse to meet their victims, even if the criminal has pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Justice minister Crispin Blunt (pictured) told a fringe meeting at the Tory party conference in Manchester today that he wants ...
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News
Tories get tough on criminals who refuse to meet victims
The Conservatives want to impose tougher sentences on criminals who refuse to meet their victims, even if the criminal has pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Justice minister Crispin Blunt (pictured) told a fringe meeting at the Tory party conference in Manchester today that he wants ...
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News
Tories get tough on criminals who refuse to meet victims
The Conservatives want to impose tougher sentences on criminals who refuse to meet their victims, even if the criminal has pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Justice minister Crispin Blunt (pictured) told a fringe meeting at the Tory party conference in Manchester today that he wants ...
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News
Tories get tough on criminals who refuse to meet victims
The Conservatives want to impose tougher sentences on criminals who refuse to meet their victims, even if the criminal has pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Justice minister Crispin Blunt (pictured) told a fringe meeting at the Tory party conference in Manchester today that he wants ...
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News
Don’t panic over outcomes-focused regulation
The age when a solicitor could buy a copy of the guide to ethics and conduct and put it on their shelf and hope they will never need it have gone. We now have a new Code of Conduct which uses very different language and introduces concepts which are challenging. ...
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News
Charge set to be imposed for employment tribunal claims
The government plans to introduce a charge for taking a case to an employment tribunal, which litigants will only get back if they win. Chancellor George Osborne told the Conservative Party conference in Manchester today that the move will reduce the risk to small businesses of hiring new people. ...
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News
The Court of Justice is changing its Rules of Procedure
The European Court of Justice wants to change its Rules of Procedure. The amendments are at an advanced stage, and are currently being discussed with the Council of the European Union. The CCBE has welcomed most of the changes, but has pointed out some serious reservations relating to access to ...