All News articles – Page 1737
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Europe to gain new justice commissioner
Europe’s legal profession made a significant breakthrough last week when European Commission president José Manuel Barroso agreed to establish a special post of EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Civil Liberties. Barroso made the concession to help secure the backing of liberal MEPs for his reappointment, which was confirmed ...
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Office for Legal Complaints consults on complaints
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) has published for consultation a revised version of its draft rules. The new rules reduce the timeframe it had originally proposed for clients to bring a complaint, in response to concerns from solicitors. Under the new ...
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Fixed-fee concerns
I am writing following your report about the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers withdrawing from the fixed-fee mediations run by the Civil Justice Council (see [2009] Gazette, 17 September, 3).
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Solicitors raise confidentiality concerns in virtual court pilot
Police station interview rooms used by defendants in the virtual court pilot are not soundproof and put confidentiality at risk, criminal practitioners have warned. Bruce Reid, a freelance solicitor-advocate, represented a defendant in custody at Brixton Police Station via the videolink from Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court. ...
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'Scrap training contract for unreserved work', thinktank urges
An influential thinktank has proposed scrapping the training contract for non-reserved work as part of a radical overhaul of the qualification process. The College of Law’s Legal Services Policy Institute advances far-reaching proposals for change in a strategy document to be published this week. ...
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Government moves to cut ‘no win, no fee’ libel costs
The Ministry of Justice will bring in new rules from 1 October to cut ‘no win, no fee’ libel costs, as revealed by the Gazette in August (see [2009] Gazette, 20 August). The ‘first raft’ of measures constitutes the government response to its February consultation ‘Controlling ...
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PII cover – should there be a new policy on renewal dates?
Should there be a single renewal date for solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance? As the renewals season draws to a close, a growing number of lawyers and some PII brokers are calling for reform. Solicitors say more flexibility is required because of ...
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Wings of a dove
Readers may recall that Obiter issued a challenge to readers two weeks ago to show the Ministry of Justice how it could have saved itself £26,000 just by getting a lawyer to design its Supreme Court emblem (above). We are now pleased to announce a lucky winner: Shaheen Hussain ...
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Media: is Google a publisher or merely a facilitator?
A Google search is the first port of call for many of us when researching anything online. Indeed, according to Wikipedia, Google receives several hundred million queries each day. The Google engine searches an index of web pages, compiled and updated by Google automatically, and provides access to the sites ...
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Family law
Care orders – Interim orders – Likelihood of significant harm – Weight of evidence Re MGR (a child) sub nom Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council v (1) JD (2) JR (3) RD (4) MGR (by her guardian): CA (Civ Div) ...
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Halifax seeks firms for nationwide panel
The Halifax is looking to build a nationwide law firm panel to support its new Legal Express service, the Gazette can reveal, enabling solicitors to ‘ride on the coat tails’ of the bank’s brand power. The move is seen as countering those who warn that the ...
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Law firms 'over the worst' of recession, PwC report reveals
Large law firms have ‘weathered the storm’ of the recession, with profits up sharply since the start of the year, research by PricewaterhouseCoopers seen exclusively by the Gazette has revealed. PwC’s quarterly benchmarking survey showed an 18% rise in profits per equity partner (PEP) since January ...
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No man is an island
I agree with Susan Singleton that being a sole practitioner does not mean living as a hermit or having no friends (see [2009] Gazette, 10 September, 9). However, for many who are currently having a rather hellish time getting their insurance renewed, and having panel membership taken away...
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Judge for yourselves
Obiter was privileged to be given a tour of the new Supreme Court building this week, and must admit to being impressed. No longer the dingy and dirty-stoned Middlesex Guildhall that some had muttered would not be an appropriate home for such a ...
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Opportunity knocks
Everyone knows that first impressions are all important. But did you give that any thought before you knocked on the door for that all-important client introduction or job interview? Knock too quietly and you’ll come across as a meek little mouse. Too loud and you’ll imply a ‘negative state of ...
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Memory lane
Books are revived with a review of G.S. Nicholson detailing the prerequisites for becoming a solicitor and R Lowe writing about the changing dynamics of relationships, 'first step, write to Woman’s Own, next step, see a solicitor?'. ...
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Product placement could mean lucrative work for lawyers
Legal advice and litigation in respect of television product placement could boost City firms’ income next year, after the government said it will consider lifting an existing ban. The government’s announcement has stirred interest among law firm media and marketing practices. Stephen Groom, consultant and head ...
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Legal profession
Costs –Intervention in solicitors’ practice – Suspected dishonesty – Solicitors Accounts Rules Shahrokh Mireskandari v Law Society: Ch D (Mr Justice Henderson): 4 September 2009 The court was required to determine issues of costs and other consequential matters ...
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Race to the top
I write regarding last week’s news item ‘Aspiring judges quizzed on race’ (see [2009] Gazette, 17 September, 1).
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Might affordable video meetings finally be here for law firms?
Last week, I needed to walk my client through some workflows that I had created for his firm. The trouble was he is based in Hull, which is around 270 miles away from me.