All News articles – Page 1709
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News
Various groups of solicitors represented disproportionately in SRA actions
Various groups of solicitors are disproportionately represented in actions taken by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, but there is no clear pattern, research has found. White solicitors are more likely to face complaints of professional misconduct, for example, while black and minority ethnic (BME) solicitors are more ...
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Amid economic gloom there is plenty of opportunity for the bar
Although a recession spells misery for some, for many barristers it is time to make hay while the sun shines. Downturns spawn disputes – as does an increasingly legislation-happy government – and while 2009 was largely a time for parties to assess their legal positions (thus boosting barristers’ advisory workload) ...
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First Sikh to be appointed a judge receives knighthood
The first Sikh to be appointed a judge in England and Wales topped the roll call of lawyers named in the New Year Honours list for 2010. Retired circuit judge Mota Singh QC (pictured), a barrister who sat at Southwark Crown Court, received a knighthood in ...
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Scrap the ARP – but take care
I agree with Sarah Foster and Duncan Crine of Henmans, Oxford that no decision on the assigned risks pool should be made in haste, however any plan to eventually remove or reduce the ARP is a positive step.
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Local authorities team up to buy legal services
Birmingham City Council has negotiated a deal that will see it join forces with 38 other local authorities to purchase legal services from 11 law firm panels, involving 12 firms. The council has also extended an invitation to every other local authority in England and ...
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Star and away
Readers may recall that back in November this page was graced by glamour shots of our favourite motor-mouthed personal injury lawyer Kerry Underwood getting cosy with showbiz sirens Diana Rigg and Judith Charmers. Well, it seems this has sparked a bit of rivalry at Hertfordshire firm Underwoods. Keen to show ...
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There is now a major imbalance between supply and demand
Just before Christmas the Conservative Party published figures showing that the number of unemployed solicitors on benefits has climbed 400% in the downturn, to over 1,800. Gazette readers posted a deluge of comments on this story on our website, sparking an impassioned debate about the future of the profession. Do ...
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When it comes to paying bribes, can the end justify the means?
The biggest reforms to the law of bribery for more than a century will come under detailed scrutiny today as the government’s Bribery Bill begins its committee stage in the House of Lords. You would expect a bill of this sort to criminalise both the person ...
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Last chance for the high street?
Stephen Hanson complains that he was given work no one else could be bothered with and was made redundant in favour of an unqualified conveyancing clerk. In the same edition, John Gurney-Champion says he runs a profitable practice without paying referral fees. The contents of these letters are very closely ...
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With divorce enquiries on the rise, is it time to change the rules?
As marriage rates have fallen in recent years, divorce rates have also gone down, but family solicitors reported a massive surge in divorce enquiries from clients in the run up to Christmas and predicted the number of petitions will soar in 2010.
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Charging orders and their impact on creditors and debtors
Section 1(5) of the Charging Orders Act 1979 provides as follows: ‘In deciding whether to make a charging order the court shall consider all the circumstances of the case and, in particular, any evidence before it as to (a) the personal circumstances of the debtor, and (b) whether any other ...
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Local government: a feast of legislation and a claim of discrimination
For those who loved the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill, 12 November 2009 will have been an emotional day. It was then that, with one touch of the royal wand, the bill became an act of parliament.
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Wake up and smell the coffee
I am writing in response to recent letters from solicitors who either claim or imply that because their firms don’t pay referral fees they somehow have more integrity than firms that do.
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Courtroom confessions
Here at Obiter Towers, we admit to enjoying tales of lawyers’ gaffes and gaucheries; lawyers are only human after all (whatever the Daily Mail says). We were particularly impressed by the honesty of the Bar Council’s new biggest bigwig, Nick Green QC. He confessed to Obiter that on one occasion ...
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Family confusion
James Carter (see [2009] Gazette, 17 December, 9) appears to have a rather different understanding than I about the way in which family cases, and public law proceedings in particular, are conducted.
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Solicitors predict number of divorces will rocket following surge in enquiries
Family solicitors reported a surge in divorce enquiries before Christmas and have predicted that the number of divorces will rocket in 2010, with January likely to be the busiest month. The rush comes as London firm Lloyd Platt & Co markets a new ‘divorce voucher’ scheme for separating couples. Mark ...
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LSB research reveals public ‘don’t know what lawyers do’
More than two-thirds of consumers have ‘little or no knowledge’ of what lawyers do, research published last week has revealed. A YouGov survey of 2,033 individuals commissioned by the Legal Services Board found that 68% were largely ignorant of what lawyers did. And less than half ...
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Law firms launch new support service for solicitors
Two law firms have joined forces to launch a new support service for solicitors experiencing regulatory, conduct, practice or business problems. The Lawyers Defence Group (LDG) has been set up by national firm Richard Nelson and London firm Murdochs to provide all lawyers – solicitors, barristers, ...
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In good health
At last – some good news for the profession. Any readers who felt a little concerned on discovering that their work trousers were somewhat more difficult to put on this week than they were before Christmas – it must be a problem with the zip – can relax. It turns ...