All News articles – Page 1585
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News
Memory Lane
Law Society’s Gazette, March/April, 1971 Letter to the editor – advertisingNo one has yet considered the connection between advertising and the present urgent need of the solicitor ...
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Viva Las Vegas
I have just received notification of a proposed order of the District Court of Nevada and been advised that a class action has been brought on behalf of people who rented cars at Las Vegas and Reno airports between 3 June 2007 and 30 September 2009, on the basis that ...
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Tell the litigant if he is likely to win
Stephen Trahair is a tad unfair to Lord Justice Jackson and his attempt to deal with the costs issue. Two factors are in play: 1. Reconstructing events and arguing over them with indemnity-insured trained legal representation costs money;2. All any solicitor should want is to be ...
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Long and winding road
Obiter’s Memory Lane slot often features correspondence to the Gazette’s editor. But rarely are we contacted by the original author across the intervening decades: Dear Sir,What a surprise to see a letter ...
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Who says mediation is a panacea?
I have got a lot of time for Christina Blacklaws and agree with much of what she has to say about the lack of joined-up thinking in government family law policy. However, I was disappointed with the article’s headline, ‘No panacea for family problems’.
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Strength in numbers?
Does it really take the nine senior judges of the Supreme Court to decide an issue of housing law, albeit an important one (Manchester City Council v Pinnock (No.2). In the same issue of the Gazette, Lord Phillips is reported as berating the government over the ...
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Self-preservation society plea
Many of your correspondents state that the level of service provided by lending institutions is deplorable. However, of greater concern is their prospective elimination (in concert with the estate agency fraternity), of the high-street solicitor’s practice. In 1984, my then senior partner, William Heath, and I ...
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Wise words
Those (such as Obiter) who follow speeches by the master of the rolls will have noticed that the reputation of judges and lawyers, particularly in times gone by, is a common theme. At a lecture last week in honour of utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham (who had a famously low opinion ...
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Disbursement? VAT depends…
A common query posed to VAT advisers is: can a particular cost be recharged without VAT as a disbursement? Well, that depends. The recent case of Barratt, Goff & Tomlinson (BGT) [MAN/2009/0219] highlights just how muddy the issue of disbursements has become. The appellant was ...
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Leading judge was libelled
A Court of Appeal judge has today received a libel apology and damages from a daily newspaper. Lord Justice Sedley, represented by London firm Bindmans, has accepted an apology and damages, which will be paid to charities, from the ...
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‘More needs to be done’ to address inequality in the profession
The Law Society is ‘making strides’ to promote equality and equal practice in the legal profession, Law Society president Linda Lee said today as the Society marks the global centenary of International Women’s Day. Lee, who will host a roundtable discussion on women in the ...
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Some thoughts after the Arab revolutions
It has been interesting to see that lawyers have played a prominent role in the actions to overthrow dictatorships in the Arab world. In Tunisia, the overwhelming majority of lawyers went on strike rather early in the protests. The courthouse in Benghazi, Libya was apparently ...
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College of Law launches part-time BPTC programme
The College of Law in Birmingham is to offer a part-time Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) beginning September 2011. BPTC course leader Paul Shoulders said: ‘The new part-time course, subject to validation by the Bar Standards Board, will open up the potential rewards of a career ...
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Firms make ‘initial contact’ with external investors
More than two-thirds of law firms would be ‘comfortable’ securing funding from an external investor when Alternative Business Structures are introduced in October, and 30% have already made initial contact with potential investors, according to research released today. A survey of 200 solicitors carried out for ...
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Failure to manage your data could be criminal
The way a law firm handles information could represent a ticking time bomb. Every document you file carries legal, financial and practical implications for your business. It is vital to understand these implications, and the actions required to protect the business and its clients.
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Neuberger warns against mediation and defends legal aid and Jackson
The Master of the Rolls warned against mediation being used as a replacement for the courts, defended the cost of legal aid, and voiced strong support for Lord Justice Jackson’s civil justice reforms in a speech earlier this week. Giving the annual Bentham Lecture, Lord Neuberger ...
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What happens when politicians clash with courts over human rights?
‘Is X a good judge?’ one lawyer asked another. There was a pause while the second lawyer weighed his words. ‘There are only good judges and better judges,’ he replied at last. ‘And yes, X is a good judge.’ ...
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Disability hate crime victims ‘let down’ by system, says DPP
Victims and witnesses with disabilities have been let down by the criminal justice system, the Director of Public Prosecutions said this week as he called for a change in society’s attitude towards disability hate crime. Keir Starmer QC said victims and witnesses with disabilities ‘have not ...
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Clients must be able to choose the lawyer they want
One of our main concerns at the Law Society is to ensure that we continue to work to preserve the principles of access to justice. This includes preserving our clients’ ability and freedom to choose the solicitor that they want. ...