All News articles – Page 1689
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Conservatives pledge to re-evaluate RTA fees
A Conservative government would re-evaluate lawyers’ fees under the new road traffic accident (RTA) claims system in April 2011, shadow justice minister Henry Bellingham told the Gazette this week. Bellingham (pictured) said that while it is ‘unlikely’ a Conservative government would scrap the new RTA system ...
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Supreme Court divorce decision could ‘open the floodgates’
The Supreme Court’s decision to top up the financial award made to a divorcee by a Nigerian court could ‘open the floodgates to forum shopping’ and further clog the London courts, family lawyers have warned. The court ruled that a settlement reached in a Nigerian ...
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CPS to recruit new lawyers to improve 'poor' performance
The new head of London’s Crown Prosecution Service has announced it will recruit 42 new lawyers in a bid to improve service following a review that found performance in over a third of the capital’s boroughs was ‘poor’. The report of Her Majesty’s CPS Inspectorate on ...
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Judge Gledhill's regret over solicitor-advocate 'distress'
The judge who sparked an extraordinary public row last year after he delivered stinging criticism of three solicitor-advocates in open court has issued a clarification admitting he should have dealt with the situation differently. In a written statement, Judge Gledhill QC (pictured) said he understood the ...
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Heir of the dog
Family lawyers know only too well that divorcing couples all too often end up fighting like cat and dog over their finances, children and homes. So as we know they are increasingly making prenuptial agreements to head off the acrimony. But according to one Manchester solicitor, pets can also be ...
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Wildest dreams
As any successful orator knows, there is nothing quite like ‘sexual shenanigans’ to liven up an otherwise dry, albeit erudite, presentation. Obiter was reminded of this during Mr Justice Eady’s address at the launch of City University’s new Centre for Law, Justice and Journalism. Eady galloped through the history of ...
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The Eagle has landed
National firm DLA Piper swooshed past rivals to win the Midlands Corporate Ski Challenge this year, with Nick Jew, Craig Armstrong and Nicky Randle beating 50 or so challengers to take the prize in the first year the firm entered the competition.
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Plan for post-charge police interview faces opposition
Police officers could be allowed to question defendants after charge following Home Office proposals to reform the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. But plans to enable the extension of detention in police custody to be authorised remotely by telephone or video link, and to transfer ...
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Family law
Human rights – Local government – Care proceedings – Child sexual abuse – Cross examination Re W (children): SC (Lady Hale, Lords Walker, Brown, Mance, Kerr): 3 March 2010 The ...
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Grim peeper
A new hot (sic) topic is currently being debated in the world of indirect tax – what VAT should apply to peep shows? A legal update sent out by chambers 2 Bedford Row reveals that the owner of a sex shop in Bruges has appealed against a tax authority’s decision ...
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Tools for the job
I write in response to the letter headed ‘Tools of the trade’ (see [2010] Gazette, 18 February, 11). I disagree entirely with the sweeping assumption that state-educated students do not gain the skills to obtain a professional qualification.
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Proposals to restrict the right to prosecute ‘universal jurisdiction’ offences
Lawfare was first defined in 2001 as ‘the use of law as a weapon of war’. Last week, it was the focus of an important conference in New York organised by the newly-established Lawfare Project. The metaphor of war is never far from the courtroom. ...
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Memory lane
Law Society’s Gazette, March 1950 H. Nevil Smart, C.M.G., O.B.E, J.P, President of the Law Society, reminiscing to students at the Society’s school of law.
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Litigation solicitors targeted by money launderers
Litigation solicitors are being targeted by criminals attempting to launder the proceeds of crime, the Law Society has warned. Chancery Lane said that criminals are seeking to exploit what they perceive to be a ‘more relaxed approach’ to due diligence by lawyers when they are acting ...
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Sentencing
Custodial sentences – Return to custody – Sentence length R v Jamie Costello: CA (Crim Div) (Lord Justice Hughes (vice-president), Mr Justice Mackay, Mr Justice Lloyd Jones): 2 March 2010 ...
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Africa is where it’s at for British lawyers
There’s a new feel-good factor in Africa, a mingled sense of pride, optimism and confidence that the future is in its people’s hands. Its economy is booming and the ‘developed world’ is again beating a path to its door...
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Land Registry finalises cost-cutting proposals
The Land Registry has announced a revised programme of structural changes that will mean fewer office closures and job cuts. Following consultation on proposals to reduce its operating costs, the Registry will now close three of its 17 offices in 2011, rather than five as had ...
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Mortgage lenders lose faith in regulation of solicitors
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has called for closer scrutiny of law firms to crack down on mortgage fraud committed by solicitors, and a comprehensive review of the way solicitors are regulated. The CML said the principles-based approach of the Solicitors Regulation Authority is not ...
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Identify client groups to get your message across to the right people
There are many useful online discussions on marketing and management issues that I feel sure are helping to develop legal services marketing.
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Bar Standards Board agrees constitution
The Bar Council has agreed to give its regulator a separate constitution enshrining its independence. Following approval by the Bar Council at the weekend, the Bar Standards Board will have its own constitution, giving it powers to choose the committees, standing orders and rules that govern ...