All News articles – Page 1658
-
News
Large firms in legal aid talks
The Ministry of Justice has met representatives from some of the larger criminal legal aid firms to discuss more ambitious plans for best value tendering (BVT), it has emerged. The news has sparked fears among smaller firms that they could be cut out of the market. ...
-
News
Conveyancing solicitors ‘failing’ clients over survey advice
Conveyancing solicitors are running the risk of potential negligence actions by failing to advise buyers to obtain a survey before purchasing a property, an expert has claimed. Mike Ockenden, chief executive of the Federation of Property Information Providers, said: ‘The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook recommends ...
-
News
Government ‘actively assessing’ Jackson report
The government and the opposition have hinted that they would implement some of Lord Justice Jackson’s recommendations on civil litigation costs, following the first parliamentary exchange on the judge’s report since its publication a month ago. Justice secretary Jack Straw said: ‘Lord Justice Jackson’s proposals… are ...
-
News
Can the BNP change its spots?
At an extraordinary general meeting on Sunday 14 February the British National Party (BNP) approved its new constitution allowing people of all ethnicities to become members.
-
News
Websites – to retain or gain clients?
The Gazette’s LinkedIn group is having a useful discussion centred around the launch of Shoosmiths Access Legal website. The responses mainly look at whether or how other solicitors should emulate Shoosmiths’ approach.
-
News
HIPs reduce failed transactions and benefit solicitors, provider claims
Home Information Packs (HIPs) have reduced the number of failed conveyancing transactions, figures have suggested. Conveyancer and HIP provider myhomemove said the packs had caused the number of failed property transactions it was involved in to dip to 9% since the full introduction of HIPs ...
-
News
Law Society Diversity Access Scheme calls for funds
An initiative designed to boost social mobility and help talented students become lawyers has appealed for greater financial support to help raise funds to assist candidates in need. The Law Society's Diversity Access Scheme (DAS), which is supported by the Law Society Charity, supports promising entrants ...
-
News
Where is Gao Zhisheng?
A year ago, the Chinese human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, disappeared. Efforts to find out what has happened to him have been brushed off by the Chinese authorities: ‘Honestly speaking, I don’t know where he is. China has 1.3 billion people and I can’t know all of their whereabouts.’
-
News
Jackson: a victory for the propaganda machine of defendant insurers?
My firm, Coyne Learmonth, is a firm of solicitors practising in Crosby near Liverpool. We deal only with road traffic accident (RTA) claims and specialise in credit hire claims arising out of such accidents. I am not in a position to comment on any aspect of ...
-
News
APIL attacks government over eligibility for bereavement damages
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has criticised the government for ignoring Law Commission recommendations to increase general damages in personal injury cases. Responding to a Ministry of Justice consultation on the draft Civil Law Reform Bill, APIL said that ‘injured people will bear the ...
-
News
Linklaters launches fast-track LPC
Magic circle firm Linklaters has launched an accelerated legal practice course designed to cut four and a half months from the typical LPC course length. The accelerated LPC, available to the firm’s trainees from January 2011, will take seven and a half months to complete. Linklaters ...
-
News
Number of family law disputes in January much greater than expected
The number of legal disputes over children almost doubled in January as Christmas and the recession combined to increase tensions between divorced parents, figures have revealed. Contact Law, a client introduction network for law firms, said enquiries regarding child support and child custody jumped 49%, from ...
-
News
Solicitors must diversify and cross-sell to boost profits
In the next few weeks some friends of ours, who are farmers, will be opening a new marina and farm shop on the Trent and Mersey Canal.
-
News
Injured person ‘forgotten’, says APIL
The personal injury claims process has lost sight of the injured person, the president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has said. Speaking at the APIL president’s lunch, John McQuater said a good claims system needed to strike ‘the right balance’ for injured people and ...
-
News
Mork and Martin
Obiter has one final instalment in our ‘lawyers with celebrities’ thread (unless we get some more good ones, of course. You can’t have too much of a good thing). The latest entry comes from Martin Smith, associate at Berrymans Lace Mawer in Birmingham. ...
-
News
Law Society mulls Zimbabwe protest
The Law Society is considering intervening in the case of a solicitor who was imprisoned by the Zimbabwe authorities for asserting that evidence incriminating his client was obtained under torture. Zimbabwean solicitor Mordecai Mahlangu was arrested when acting for Roy Bennett, a Zimbabwean farmer of European ...
-
News
Solicitors should report insolvency risk to SRA, recommends KPMG
Solicitors should be under a duty to notify the Solicitors Regulation Authority when they get into financial difficulties, a report to the SRA board by accountants KPMG has recommended. The report also proposes that there should be a new core duty on financial management as part ...
-
News
Tackling social immobility in the legal profession
Who would disagree with the idea that every person in this country with the talent and ability, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential? The fact is that over the last decade Britain has become a fairer place. The glass ...
-
News
Immigration
Human rights – Convictions – Deportation JO (Uganda) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: JT (Ivory Coast) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Mummery, Richards, Toulson): 22 January 2010 ...