All News articles – Page 1533
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News
Employment lawyers see surge in disputes
Employment solicitors have seen a surge in clients seeking advice on work-related disputes, according to figures seen by the ...
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Dominic Grieve set for Minority Lawyers Conference
Attorney general Dominic Grieve and influential Islamic thinker Tariq Ramadan will join a line-up of high-profile speakers at tomorrow’s Minority Lawyers Conference at the Law Society in London. The biennial conference, organised jointly by the Law Society, Bar Council and Institute of Legal Executives, celebrates ...
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Who’s in charge – Strasbourg or London?
Who is really in charge - the UK’s unelected judges or its elected politicians, its courts or its parliament? Or is the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights in charge, as many of its critics fear? These were the questions posed ...
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RBS offers legal documentation to small business clients
The Royal Bank of Scotland launched a product that will provide legal documentation and advice to its small business customers this week. The service, Smarta Business Builder, incorporates a range of online accounting, business and legal services, with legal software provided by Epoq. ...
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Profession helps law schools to step up pro bono advice
The number of law schools offering pro bono legal advice has risen significantly thanks to a boost in support from solicitors, a report published this week has found. The report by pro bono charity LawWorks showed a 40% increase over the last five years in the ...
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Off their trollies
The Family Justice Review Panel pulled no punches when it delivered its interim review on the family justice system last week. After spending a year gathering evidence by visiting courts around the country, it discovered a court process riddled with ‘scandalous’ delays, and concluded that the ...
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Sharp practice
While a cutting exchange of words between rivals may occasionally be de rigueur at a law firm party, actual fisticuffs are rare. Obiter was alarmed, therefore – while serenely quaffing a refreshing champagne and raspberry cocktail at the Savoy hotel last week (home to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s Olympics media reception) ...
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Money laundering rules to be relaxed for solicitors
Solicitors will no longer need to fear criminal conviction for minor due diligence errors such as keeping an out-of-date passport on file, the Law Society said last week, as the government announced plans to reduce the regulatory burden attached to anti-money laundering obligations. Chancery Lane said ...
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Just our Lidl joke
Some rather intriguing legal news appeared last Friday (1 April). First, law firm Jordans revealed that, in an attempt to create a more ‘family-friendly’ atmosphere in court, the lord chief justice had issued a new practice direction introducing ‘multicoloured polka dot’ robes. The change followed extensive ...
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Insolvency
Practice statements - Proportionality - Remuneration - Trustees in bankruptcy Helen Brook v Nicholas Edward Reed (trustee in bankruptcy of the estate of Helen Brook): CA (Civ Div) (Lady Justice Arden, Lord Justice Black, Mr Justice David Richards): 25 ...
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Immigration
Damages - Human rights - Torts - Deportation Walumba Lumba v Secretary of State for the Home Department: Kadian Mighty v Secretary Of State for the Home Department: SC (Justices of the Supreme Court Lord Phillips, Lord Hope, Lord ...
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Foolish to follow US
Bill Jackson in his letter ‘Time to adopt US libel model’ argues that we should adopt one aspect of the US libel law model – namely the requirement for a claimant to prove malice in cases involving public figures – and commends that model to us. ...
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Respect has to be earned
Fascinated as I was by District Judge Paul Mildred’s article ‘Conduct unbecoming in our courts’, I can’t help but think he has misdirected himself. Respect can be demanded, but, in my experience, is given only when it is earned. ...
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Disclosure of expert medical evidence
If a claimant instructs expert A, but then does not wish to rely upon the content of his report, can he instruct expert B without having to disclose expert A’s report? The assumption that claimant lawyers have historically made is ‘yes’ – privilege applies.
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Is WHSmith deal a smart move for QualitySolicitors?
Today’s news that QualitySolicitors is to put a member of staff in WHSmith stores throughout the country has provoked a strong reaction from the profession; as any regular visitor to the Gazette site would expect. Whenever the Gazette reports on the latest QS initiative, the ...
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Criminal procedure
Appeals - Forfeiture - Notices of hearing - Proceeds of Crime Act R (on the application of Nashika Harrison) v (1) Birmingham Magistrates’ Court (2) Chief Constable of West Midlands: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justices Pill, Hooper, Munby): 25 ...
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Legal Ombudsman is 'consumer-unfriendly'
The Legal Ombudsman was last week accused by a consumer watchdog of capitulating to ‘spurious objections from the legal profession’, after announcing plans for a ‘staged approach’ to publishing information about complaints against law firms. In the first part of a three-stage approach, LeO has begun ...
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Quality concern
Susan Humble, clerk to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, states in her letter ‘Checks and balances’ that: ‘Statistically, only a small proportion of SDT decisions are appealed and it speaks volumes for the quality of the decision-making process that its decisions are overturned in very few cases.’
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European courts face workload ‘crisis’, claims House of Lords
The European Union’s two highest courts are facing a ‘crisis’ in managing their existing and ever increasing workloads, according to House of Lords report published yesterday. The report predicted ‘another crisis of workload soon’ for the Court of Justice (CJ), the supreme or constitutional court of ...