All News articles – Page 1565
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News
Barnardo’s issues warning over asbo repeal
A leading children’s charity this week warned of the dangers of government plans to repeal the anti-social behaviour order (asbo). The Home Office is currently consulting on its ‘More Effective Responses to Anti-Social Behaviour’ policy, which aims to give the police, courts and the community extra ...
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Charging powers passed from CPS to police
The power to decide charges for those suspected of crimes will be passed from the Crown Prosecution Service to the police under plans announced by the home secretary today, in what she called a ‘radical leap forward for policing’. Theresa May said the Home Office will ...
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Two new insurers set to enter solicitors’ PII market
Two new, A-rated insurers are poised to enter the professional indemnity insurance market, adding much-needed volume to a market that is again expected to be tough this year. Leading broker Richard Brown told the Sole Practitioners Conference in Harrogate yesterday that he is ‘90% of the ...
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Some ideas from the US for the new SRA Handbook
Here is my second attempt to analyse provisions of the new SRA Handbook. I am prompted to think about it again because the American Bar Association’s Ethics 20/20 Commission, which is looking at whether new ways of working need a change to ethics and regulation, ...
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Jail for trust probate executive in £100k fraud
A trust probate executive from Hove has been jailed for 30 months for defrauding four elderly women clients out of a total of £100,000. Jacqueline D’Hazzard (pictured), 44, pleaded guilty to four offences committed while she was a trust probate executive at Brighton firm Engleharts ...
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Absolute truth
I read with interest Andrea Minichiello Williams’s article on the victimising of Christians. With the exception of the Johns case, which was appallingly reported by the BBC, I agree entirely with everything she says. It may not seem important to many that Christians in this country ...
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Solicitors facing ABSs must review their options
The profession is at a crossroads and facing some of the most difficult challenges for generations. None are greater than the challenges facing small firms. The pressure exerted by financial institutions, whether professional indemnity insurers, lenders or before-the-event insurers, means ...
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Society appeal to UN over Mexico human rights abuses
The Law Society has written to the UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers to call for an end to the ‘atmosphere of impunity’ in Mexico that it claims allows military and state authorities to harass, criminalise and threaten lawyers acting for the victims of human rights ...
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Insurers 'discriminate' against black and ethnic law firms
Black and minority ethnic (BME) law firms are over-represented in the assigned risks pool – but almost twice as likely as their white counterparts to secure market insurance and leave the ARP, according to research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The ARP is the insurer ...
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Barristers' chambers will be 'attractive alternative' for litigation
Barristers’ chambers will become an ‘attractive alternative’ to law firms for litigation work, a leading industry commentator suggested this week, after the bar’s regulator decided to remove its ban on barristers conducting litigation. The move will permit barristers to offer a ‘one-stop shop’ service, including both ...
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Is it possible, or moral, to safeguard the rule of law while applying it selectively?
The killing of Bin Laden was a cathartic experience for the US, and brought a degree of welcome closure to those bereaved on 9/11. In the US especially, it was an occasion more for celebration than reflection. In the aftermath, however, ...
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Cuts to court reporters are bad news for justice
Here’s a spot of philosophy to keep you going during this tortuous four-day week: if a judge speaks but there’s nobody in his courtroom, does he still make a sound? I ask because there are an awful lot of courtrooms now where the press bench is ...
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From crooks to books
Obiter was intrigued to read in the Guardian’s education section last week that those who have had a brush with the law are often inspired to go on and study the subject during their stay at Her Majesty’s pleasure. Apparently an increasing number of prisoners ...
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Persecution claims are undermined by religious privileges
I’ve known for a while that my BBC licence fee is used for religious proselytising in the shape of ‘Thought for the day’, and now I fear my practising certificate fee awaits a similar fate (Andrea Minichiello Williams, ‘Equality law is victimising Christians’). Ms Williams believes ...
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Will ruling opens way for family claims
Family members who are snubbed in a relative’s will in favour of charities could find it easier to lay claim to the estate following a recent judgment. The Court of Appeal ruled last month that Heather Ilott could request a larger share of her mother Melita ...
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Domestic violence courts to close
More than one in six specialist domestic violence courts are set to close as part of the government’s nationwide court closures plan, it has emerged. Shadow justice minister Andy Slaughter has tabled a series of parliamentary questions to justice secretary Kenneth Clarke on the impact of ...
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Reform plans from coalition on resolving workplace disputes are flawed
by Stephen Levinson, solicitor and partner at RadcliffesLeBrasseur, and a member of ELA’s legislative and policy committee The Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) has responded robustly to government proposals to change the way disputes in the workplace are resolved.
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Law firms set to reclaim Legal Services Commission family fees
Law firms may seek to claim back ‘substantial’ sums from the Legal Services Commission following a clarification of its rules governing family fees, solicitors suggested this week. In private law cases involving a ‘significant family dispute’, the LSC’s unified contract with providers requires firms to carry ...
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Correction
Our News Focus of 7 April contained the statement: ‘Unlike Jackson, Kenneth Clarke does use figures.’ We are happy to make clear that Lord Justice Jackson’s report included extensive figures in support of its recommendations. We apologise if this sentence ...
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Giving greater influence to victims could prove dangerous for justice
Of all the various parties involved in the criminal justice system, ‘the victim’ has always had a pretty raw deal. Not only was he or she unfortunate enough to have a crime committed against them in the first place, but they then become entangled in ...