All News articles – Page 1538
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News
Bribery Act start date revealed by Clarke
The Bribery Act will come into force on 1 July, the government announced today, as it published delayed compliance guidance for businesses. Briefing reporters this morning, justice secretary Kenneth Clarke said that it was ‘best to get it right rather than head for some artificial deadline’. ...
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SRA set to become ABS regulator
The Law Society Council gave the green light to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s application to become a licensing authority for alternative business structures last week. Having obtained the council’s approval, the SRA will now submit its application to the Legal Services Board, putting it on track ...
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Expert witnesses lose 400-year-old immunity
Expert witnesses have lost their immunity from being sued over matters arising in the course of proceedings, following a landmark ruling today. By a majority of five to two, the Supreme Court removed the 400-year-old protection that gave expert witnesses immunity from suit for breach of duty whether in contract ...
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Tools or techniques?
When presented with the ‘next big thing’ in legal services marketing there is a good question to ask at the outset that will help you gain the best for your firm. Is the latest idea a tool for marketing and promotions or a technique of ...
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Lord Judge warns of media ignorance of human rights law
Media ignorance of human rights legislation is harming the independence of the judiciary, the lord chief justice said in a speech in Jerusalem yesterday. Lord Judge said that journalists must understand that, when judges apply decisions of the European Court of Human Rights via the Human ...
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Family law
Babies - Habitual residence - Jurisdiction - Parental responsibility Barbara Mercredi v Richard Chaffe: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justices Thorpe, Elias): 17 March 2011 The appellant mother (M) appealed against ...
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Litigation funder boosts its investment resources
Third-party litigation funder Burford Capital has boosted its investment resources above the $300m (£187m) mark, making it the largest fund of its kind in the world, according to its first annual report. The company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), ...
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Government announces implementation of Jackson’s reforms
Lord Justice Jackson’s headline civil costs reforms will be implemented in full, the government announced today, as it simultaneously opened a consultation on reform of the county court system. The Law Society warned that the reforms meant ordinary people would no longer be able to obtain ...
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‘Recession over for law firms’ – exclusive survey
The recession has finally run its course, according to the results of a survey conducted in association with the Gazette. Six out of ten firms expect revenues to increase over the next 12 months, while only 3.6% predict a fall. ...
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New guidelines proposed for sentencing drug offenders
The Sentencing Council has today launched a consultation on proposals to introduce new guidelines for judges and magistrates sentencing drug offenders. The plans will mean that for the first time in the Crown court, sentences will be based on the court’s assessment of the defendant’s role ...
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Legislating for changing sexual mores
Is Europe the beginning of something new or the end of something old? We know what the Eurosceptics think (end, end, end), but the soft power and liberal institutions of the EU can as easily be seen as the forerunner of a new template, which ...
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Protest marchers call the tune on legal aid
Tomorrow sees the Trades Union Congress ‘March for the Alternative’ rally, taking place in central London. It is predicted that tens of thousands will turn up to protest against the planned public sector spending cuts, in what is expected to be the largest TUC event ...
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Law Society warns LSB over 'micro-management'
The Legal Services Board must resist the urge to ‘micro-manage’ aspects of legal regulation, and should reduce its budget rather than extending its role to become an ‘economic regulator’, the Law Society has warned. Responding to the LSB’s draft business plan, Chancery Lane also cautioned that ...
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Tied up in knots
Obiter is thinking of changing its name to the ‘Djanogly diary’, such is the frequency with which the unfortunate legal aid minister has been featured on this page in recent weeks. Indeed, Jonathan Djanogly’s (pictured) eccentric performance at last week’s National Pro Bono Centre ...
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Personal injury
Autistic spectrum disorder - Employers’ liability Janet Vaile v Havering London Borough Council CA (Civ Div): (Lords Justices Longmore, Etherton, Sir David Keene): 11 March 2011 The appellant former teacher ...
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Overcoming hurdles
Robert Cumming raises a good point in saying that labour laws needs to be reformed to ensure equality of pay. There is a huge groundswell of opinion, among women as much as men, that new paternity rights ought to be ‘use it or lose it ...
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Solicitor jailed for money laundering and fraud
A solicitor whose lavish lifestyle included driving a Lamborghini worth more than £80,000 was jailed last week for four years and eight months after a joint investigation by the police and Solicitors Regulation Authority. Benjamin Cornelius, 37, was convicted at Cardiff Crown Court of money laundering ...
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Finger on the trigger
Conveyancing solicitors face many hurdles in their day-to-day battle to transfer ownership of property. Excessive bureaucracy from the Land Registry; frustrating delays in obtaining search data; irate clients with unrealistic expectations; all part and parcel of the average conveyance. But ...