All News articles – Page 1806
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News
Starmer wades into TV trials debate
The new director of public prosecutions has reignited the debate over televising criminal trials, saying cameras in court would ‘bring a breath of fresh air’ to proceedings. In an interview for Channel 4 News, Keir Starmer said: ‘The more the public know about the criminal justice ...
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Fairness and justice
Richard Moorhead is right to emphasise that, in contrast to the interpretation being put on his contingency fee studies by those who appear desperate for an alternative to the current costs system, contingency fees are not a solution (see [2008] Gazette, 11 December, 9). It is ...
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Fees 'frisson'
You reported last week that the Solicitors Regulation Authority ‘voted 13 to two, with one abstention, not to reimpose a ban on referral payments’ (see [2009] Gazette, 8 January, 3). This is correct, save that the vote you refer to was the second vote. This took place immediately after the ...
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A level playing field
Is it really feasible that a law firm in Carlisle will be allowed to profit-share with a local accountant and save on overheads, while another firm up the M6 in Gretna will not? The answer, fortunately, appears to be no. After years of prevarication and politicking, the Scottish legal profession ...
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Internet ‘first’ for solicitor searches
The internet is on the brink of overtaking traditional channels such as personal recommendations as a way of finding a solicitor to carry out a simple transaction, such as conveyancing or making a will, according to research published this week. The survey, carried out for ...
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In the Knowles
Spooky or what? There is at least one man for whom the knighthood of DLA Piper boss Nigel Knowles (pictured) in the New Year Honours will have come as little surprise. In the last Gazette of 2005, Tony ‘Gypsy Rose’ Williams, one-time Clifford Chance managing partner and now head of ...
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Lost for words
Reports of the death of the legal typo have been much exaggerated, if our readers are to be believed. Georgie Godby of Cambridge recalls a high-tech example in a contract that was run through an autocorrect function. It read: ‘The manufacturer does not exclude or ...
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Met row threatens trials
A row between the Metropolitan Police Service and doctors who care for detainees in police stations is threatening to undermine criminal trials and harm the treatment of those in custody, medical practitioners say. New contracts for the Met’s 150 forensic medical examiners (FMEs) come into ...
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Sweet music
Basil Preuveneers, council member for Croydon and North Kent, responded to our request for solicitor musicians by revealing that he plays keyboards, trumpet, cornet and accordion. But not at the same time. The photo shows him with actress Jane Asher, president of the Parkinson’s Disease Society, at the society’s annual ...
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Salaried partners need more support
I write to announce the formation of The Association of Salaried Partners. The purpose of this organisation will be to support the interests of both former and current salaried partners within the legal profession.
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Transfer request
Banks have begun asking top law firms to transfer their client accounts to them from other banks in order to secure lending facilities, as some partners move their private accounts abroad to gain full protection from bank collapses.
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Samba sponsor
Football sponsorship is an expensive business and not many provincial law firms expect to see their proud brand emblazoned across the chest of a World Cup-winning captain. Leeds corporate and commercial outfit The Needle Partnership appears to have managed it, however. The firm has signed ...
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Clifford Chance signs best friends deal with Indian firm
Magic circle firm Clifford Chance has signed a ‘best friends’ deal with Indian law firm AZB and hinted at a possible future merger just days after an Indian court laid the foundations for liberalisation of the market. The best friends deal was signed with the intention ...
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Old Obiter's Almanac for 2009
JanuaryCity firm DLA Piper installs a multi-megawatt wind turbine atop its Noble Street office as part of scheme to cut carbon emissions to zero. Election fever mounts. ...
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The bar Public Access scheme is good for solicitors
There is no right way to go shopping. Some people will visit the supermarket before the delicatessen. Others will not. There is no right way to seek financial services. Some will see an independent financial adviser. Others will speak to their accountant or bank. There is no right way to ...
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Access denied
The item on multiple age-discrimination claims (see [2008] Gazette, 4 December, 4) seems slightly one-sided.
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Legal advice
Conditional fee agreements – Legal costs insurance – Solicitors’ powers Kier Tankard (appellant) v John Fredricks Plastics Ltd (respondent); (1) Fawcett Old Ltd (2) Michael Jane Hair & Beauty (appellants) v Yvonne Hibberd (respondent); Mark Jones (appellant) v Karl ...
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Criminal defence lawyers call for all police forces to provide interpreters
Criminal defence lawyers have launched a campaign to ensure all police forces provide qualified interpreters to non-English speaking detainees at police stations. A 2007 national agreement on the use of interpreters – drawn up by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform in consultation with the Association ...
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Costs-capping order appeal
The High Court will next week hear an appeal against what is thought to be the first costs-capping order made against a defendant. Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly had estimated its costs of defending an action brought by Susan James over alleged side-effects of the drug Zyprexa ...
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Application rejection fee mistake
I am writing to alert the profession to the fact that the Office of the Public Guardian is rejecting applications and recharging the £150 fee if any mistake – no matter how small or obvious – has been made in part 1 of a lasting power of attorney.