All News articles – Page 1761

  • News

    Land Registry asks private firms to build property chain matrix

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    The Land Registry has announced it will support commercial IT companies to develop ‘Chain Matrix’ systems to make conveyancing more transparent. The Registry shelved its own prototype system in 2007 after spending £15m in partnership with IBM. This announcement was the result ...

  • News

    ECJ ruling threatens London’s arbitration status

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    London’s Commercial Court will no longer be entitled to grant anti-suit injunctions to support arbitration provisions with London as their seat, if doing so undermines the jurisdiction of another member state’s court, the European Court of Justice (pictured) ruled this week.

  • News

    Only four firms apply to become LDPs

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Hopes that the legal profession would eagerly embrace new business structures created by the Legal Services Act have received a blow with the news that only a handful of firms have applied to be part of the first wave of reforms. With only three weeks ...

  • News

    Watchdog wins appeal over ‘boiler room’ scam

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    The Financial Services Authority today (17 February) won an appeal against Leeds legal firm Fox Hayes over its failure to take reasonable steps to prevent a $21m (£14.7m) ‘boiler room’ fraud that hit 670 UK investors.

  • News

    Local government law – ASBOs, injunctions and anti-social behaviour

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Birmingham City Council has had a setback in its use of injunctions to curb serious gang-driven criminal and anti-social behaviour.

  • News

    Property search chief quits after just six months

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Mervyn Pilley has resigned as chief executive of the Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) after only six months in the post. The trade organisation for the property search industry said the resignation followed a series of discussions in the new year between Pilley and the ...

  • News

    CPS rapped for sending inexperienced advocates to court

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    The drive to push novice Crown Prosecution Service advocates into court has led to a decline in the quality of justice, the chairman of the Criminal Bar Association said last week. Giving evidence to the House of Commons justice committee, Peter Lodder QC said: ‘The ...

  • News

    Domestic violence victims shun legal advice

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    A fall in the number of domestic abuse injunctions may be caused by victims not engaging with the legal system, according to a study published by the Legal Services Commission. The Domestic Abuse Literature Review, published last week, ...

  • News

    Snow absenteeism creates legal headache

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Weather-related absenteeism has brought fresh employment law headaches to firms struggling with redundancies and contract re-negotiations. Roger Byard, employment head at Kent firm Cripps Harries Hall, said where there is no good reason for missing work, managers should interview the individual and either ...

  • News

    LDPs to go live on 31 March

    2009-02-12T00:00:00Z

    The ‘go live’ date for legal disciplinary practices (LDPs) has been put back a month, to 31 March, at the instigation of justice minister Bridget Prentice. In a statement today, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said it will be able to regulate the new business ...

  • News

    Poaching teams is profitable, research shows

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Large law firms are increasingly looking to poach teams from their rivals as they can quickly turn a profit, according to new research. The annual Smith & Williamson professional practices survey found that 45% of the 102 law firms which took part – most in the ...

  • News

    Legal profession

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Barristers’ fees - Comparators - Funding arrangements Lord Chancellor v John Charles Rees & ors: QBD (Sir Charles Gray): 19 December 2008 The appellant Lord Chancellor appealed against the decision ...

  • News

    Law on lock knives is in need of re-examination

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    When we buy from a reputable high street store, we trust the integrity of the store to sell goods that don’t have the potential of being illegal when we leave the store. The paradox here is the fact that selling is legal but possession is illegal. The lock knife is ...

  • News

    'We oppose secret inquests'

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    I agree entirely with the statement by Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors, at the end of your leader on secret inquests (see [2009] Gazette, 29 January, 8) . I am utterly opposed to secret inquests of any kind. Every sudden death should be properly investigated ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Constitutional law - Aliens - Constitutional reform - EC law - Right to free elections - Sark R (on the application of Barclay & Ors) v Secretary of State for Justice & Ors: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Pill, ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Sentencing - EC law - Foreign travel - Notification - Sex offenders R (on the application of F) v Secretary of State for Justice: R (on the application of Angus Aubrey Thompson) v Secretary of State for Justice: DC ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Bicycles - Exemptions - Notification - Processions Kay v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis: HL (Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Baroness Hale of Richmond, Lord Carswell, Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood): 26 November 2008 ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Negligence - Duty of care - Health authorities - Nursing homes Trent Strategic Health Authority v Jain & anor: HL (Lord Scott of Foscote, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Baroness Hale of Richmond, Lord Carswell, Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury): 21 ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Social welfare - Care workers - Listing system for protection of vulnerable adults R (on the application of Wright and others) v Secretary of State for Health: HL (Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Lord Hoffmann, Lord Hope of Craighead, ...

  • News

    South Korea hints at market opening

    2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

    City law firms may steal a march on their US rivals by gaining access to the potentially lucrative South Korean market first, it has emerged. A bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and South Korea could be signed as early as March, ...