All News articles – Page 1577
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News
Ombudsman under fire over ‘cautious’ approach to complaints publishing
The Legal Ombudsman was accused of having fallen for ‘spurious objections from the legal profession’ today as it revealed its plans for a ‘staged approach’ to publishing information about complaints against law firms. In the first part of a three-stage approach, LeO has immediately begun ...
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Businesses face ‘human rights audit’
Human rights lawyers could be called upon to audit big businesses for possible human rights abuses, if proposals submitted last week to the UN Human Rights Council are endorsed. A six-year UN-commissioned study on business and human rights has concluded that companies should regularly carry out ...
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Claims farmers ban on hold
A government proposal to ban ‘claims farmers’ from offering cash inducements and other benefits to the public has been put on hold, the Ministry of Justice confirmed this week. Responding to its consultation on the proposed ban, which was triggered by Lord Young of Graffham’s report ...
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Public law practitioners at ‘breaking point’
Public law solicitors are at ‘breaking point’ due to increased workloads and financial pressure, according to an authoritative report published this week. A study of how parents are represented in care proceedings, by academics at Bristol University’s school of law, found that solicitors acting for parents ...
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Businesses fear hike in employment claims
A survey by national firm Irwin Mitchell has revealed the extent to which businesses believe government plans to scrap the default retirement age (DRA) will cause a hike in employment claims against them. Some 57% of businesses said they thought the removal of the DRA would ...
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Civil Procedure
Extradition - Appeal notice - European Arrest Warrants - Time limits Kane v Spain: QBD (Admin) (Mr Justice Collins) 17 March 2011 The appellant (K) appealed against a decision of ...
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Civil Procedure
Charities - Conditional permission - Permission to appeal - Protective costs orders R (on the application of Medical Justice) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: CA (Civ Div) (Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury MR, Lords Justices Hooper, Rimer): ...
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Complaints clinic: Legal Ombudsman
Effective communication and regular updates are key to managing clients’ expectations When I came into post a couple of years ago now, one thing was immediately clear to me. ...
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Clyde & Co fails to thwart partner’s tribunal hearing
A City firm has failed to stop a former partner from bringing sex and pregnancy discrimination claims to the Employment Tribunal by seeking to rely on an arbitration clause in its partnership agreement. Clyde & Co dismissed Krista Bates van Winkelhof in January. She then filed ...
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Coalition failing on law reform
I read with interest your Opinion highlighting the helter-skelter approach to law reform being pursued by the coalition, While the Con-Dems certainly appear keen to sell to public opinion their reforming credentials, their words do not match their deeds. That rancid chestnut – the ‘compensation culture’ ...
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Law Society of Scotland defers constitutional reform
A three-year project to modernise the constitution of the 10,500-strong Law Society of Scotland has run into difficulties, after solicitors failed to agree on the proposed changes. At the Edinburgh-based body’s annual meeting last Friday, a motion to rescind the current constitution won approval, with ...
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Snooze control
The justice secretary copped some stick for – allegedly – nodding off during chancellor George Osborne’s budget speech last week. But while Ed Miliband accused the lord chancellor of catching 40 winks, and Ladbrokes revealed it had paid out a four-figure sum to a customer ...
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Judges should be given the respect they deserve
by District Judge Paul Mildred, the new President of the Association of Her Majesty’s District Judges, Bournemouth Combined Court Centre It is time to bring back respect for the judiciary along with everyone else involved in public service.
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Jackson reforms ‘devastating’
The government’s plans to implement Lord Justice Jackson’s headline civil costs reforms are a ‘devastating attack on access to justice’, the Law Society warned on Tuesday. Justice secretary Kenneth Clarke confirmed this week that legislation will be introduced to implement Jackson’s reforms, which will force winning ...
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A royal ding-dong
While Obiter will be having a quiet word with the postman about the strange non-arrival of a Royal Wedding invite, there is some comfort in the knowledge that there is another exciting royal event – with plenty of bells – in 2012. Next year will ...
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At the end of the line: is the solicitors' profession full?
Since 1960, when 19,069 solicitors held practising certificates (PCs), the number of solicitors with PCs rose by 2,000 a year on average to 117,862 by the end of July 2010. This number increased every year for 50 years except for 1971 and 1983. ...
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Family Procedure Rules
The new Family Procedure Rules come into effect on 6 April. They are a welcome step in consolidating the existing disparate set of rules. They provide a single set of rules for family proceedings whether in the High Court, county courts or magistrates’ courts. No ...
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Young women solicitors far outnumber men
Women solicitors significantly outnumber men at the younger end of the profession, according to Law Society research published today. If current trends continue, the profession could comprise more women than men within the next ten years. The Society’s annual statistical report shows ...
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Ilex fast-track route proves popular
More than 270 law graduates have embarked on the Institute of Legal Executives’ (ILEX) fast-track route to becoming a solicitor since its launch in 2009, the Gazette has learned. Some 66 graduates applied for the scheme during the last quarter. ...
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Making the most of law firm mergers
In the last few days we have seen announcements of two mergers: Noble is merging with Wembley and Watford http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/legal-aid-firm-merger-embrace-new-opportunities .