All News articles – Page 1711
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The new Supreme Court is opening soon
The new Supreme Court (pictured) is to open for business on 1 October, justice secretary Jack Straw announced last week. The court, which will be based at the refurbished Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court, will replace the jurisdiction of the House of Lords.It has cost nearly £60m to create and running ...
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Public confidence undermined by ‘rush to legislate’
The government’s ‘ad hoc and piecemeal’ attempts at constitutional reform risk further undermining public confidence, a report published today has warned.
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Civil Justice Council moves to fix fast-track fees
A move to fix the level of legal fees for all fast-track civil cases will begin this week, the Gazette can reveal. The Civil Justice Council has gathered together 13 representatives from the legal profession and insurance industry, including the Law Society, to start work initially ...
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Tories pledge to hike salaries to lure top City lawyers to regulator
The Conservatives will attempt to lure top City lawyers into the public sector with the promise of improved salaries should they take power at the next general election. Outlining Conservative policy for financial regulation on Monday, shadow chancellor George Osborne said he would scrap the FSA ...
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Circuit overload
You might have thought that judges could never have too much law. But that is apparently not the case.
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Child overnight detention is an institutional failure that must end
by Dr Peter Green, a forensic medical examiner for the Metropolitan Police Service and as designated doctor for child safeguarding at St George’s Hospital and NHS Wandsworth The improper detention of children in prison was highlighted by a recent Barnardo’s report. But another manifestation of state ...
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Changes to forced marriage protection orders
The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 (the act), in force from 25 November 2008, is an important social reforming statute of power and humanity, protecting the basic right to marry by choice. The act inserts into the Family Law Act 1996 (the 1996 act) a ...
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Challenging debates remain on Islam and English law
The Temple Church is to be commended for its efforts to improve interfaith relations over the past 18 months, even though some of the public meetings it held on Islam in English law did not turn out quite as intended. Since Muslims were well represented among ...
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Causes and consequences
Roger Smith’s article on anti-terror legislation hit the nail on the head (see [2009] Gazette, 25 June, 6).
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BVT is dead in the water – so why persist with the pilots?
Before the LSC announced its response to the best value tendering consultation last week, we at the Gazette were pretty sure what the story was going to be.
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Businesses should be liable for employee bribery
Businesses should face strict liability for bribes paid by their employees, the Joint Committee on the Draft Bribery Bill recommended today. Publishing its report on the draft bill, the committee said that liability for bribes should rest with companies and partnerships unless they can prove they ...
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Education, housing bonds and sulphur deals
Saudi sukuk: Magic circle firm Allen & Overy, alongside its affiliate, Saudi firm Abdulaziz AlGasim, advised Saudi Electricity Company on a $1.87bn (£1.13bn) sukuk issue, believed to be the largest sukuk issue of 2009. HSBC Saudi Arabia and Samba Capital were joint lead ...
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US legislators drive to block enforcement of UK libel judgments
Paul Tweed is senior partner at Johnsons Solicitors, which has offices in Belfast, Dublin and London An intense lobbying campaign has been ongoing in the ...
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In support of best value tendering
I write in response to previous articles regarding best value tendering, in particular Graeme Hydari’s letter (see [2009] Gazette, 16 July, 9). If you decide to publish this letter, I would appreciate it if you could hold back my name and firm details, as this is a personal view and ...
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Profits crash at SJ Berwin
Partner profits at City firm SJ Berwin have plummeted by nearly half, with senior partner Jonathan Blake denouncing his firm’s financial results as ‘disappointing’ and ‘not acceptable’. The firm reported a 49% fall in profits per equity partner (PEP) from £801,000 in 2007/08 to £410,000 in ...
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Selling the benefits of LLPs
A painful time is fast approaching for law firms in the shape of professional indemnity insurance renewals, due up in October. Last week we published a supplement on PII insurance for firm partners – if you didn't get one for some reason, go to our Supplements page to download it ...
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Solicitors win best-value tendering battle but fears remain over pilots
Solicitors claimed to have ‘won a battle’ with the Legal Services Commission this week, as it announced it is to delay the rollout of best value tendering across the country by three years.
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Privileged background of solicitors laid bare in government report
A government-commissioned report that lays bare the privileged background of most lawyers shows that class distinction still dominates the sector.
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Key Business Finance to pay back money to solicitors’ firms
Solicitors owed thousands of pounds by Key Business Finance (KBF), the legal lender that collapsed last year, will be paid back most of what they are owed. Some 66 law firms made advance payments to KBF totalling £460,000 just before it collapsed. KBF’s administrators Ernst ...
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Asian economies set to boost City law firm profits
Legal work in the emerging Asian economies will provide the biggest profits boost to large law firms over the coming year – but only to firms with established ties, law firm management experts predicted this week. Profitability in the eurozone should remain stable, and there may ...