Law Society notices

Renewing a practising certificate or registration as a European or foreign lawyer for 2000/2001

Application formsThe Law Society is now sending out application forms for the 2000/2001 practising certificate year.

The practising certificate fee for solicitors and registration fee for foreign lawyers will increase in 2000-2001 for the first time since 1994.

The increase, a rise of 15 per cent to 495 and 325 respectively, will be used to resource the work of the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors and to promote improved standards within the profession.A reduced practising certificate fee of 370 is available for any solicitor who takes out their first practising certificate between 1 November 2000 and 31 December 2000.

Changes for 2000/2001The earnings threshold for solicitors who are entitled to claim a reduced fee due to low income has increased from 12,000 to 12,500.

You will also be eligible to pay a reduced practising certificate fee if you have taken maternity leave within the 1999/2000 practising year.

Full details of these fees can be found in the notes which accompany each form.Since 1 September 2000 solicitors have been required to arrange indemnity insurance with an approved insurer.

We will require you to provide details of your insurer, policy number and policy start date when making your practising certificate application.

Under the Establishment of Lawyers Directive 98/5/EC, we are now required to register European lawyers who practise permanently in England and Wales.

If you currently have a registered European lawyer working in your firm, you can renew their registration using your firm's practising certificate renewal application form (RF1).

The targetEvery practising solicitor, registered European lawyer and registered foreign lawyer should have an application form sent to them individually or to their firm.

If you have not received an application form yourself, please check to ensure that your organisation is making an application on your behalf.

If you or your firm have not received an application form by 8 October please contact our Information Services team on 0870 606 2555 (lines are open from 8.00am until 6.00pm Monday to Friday between 1 September and 30 November).

The target for this year is to issue 95% of certificates by the end of December 2000.We are hoping to begin processing application forms before the end of September this year and would be grateful if you could return your forms as early as possible.

All forms need to be returned to the Law Society by 31 October 2000 to ensure continuity of practising certificates.

Council membership committee: south-east seat

The Law Society's Council membership committee was established under the by-laws to oversee the representative nature of the Council.

Key tasks include advising the Council on the type of solicitor who should fill the non-constituency seats and keeping under review the size of the Council and the constituency boundaries.

In order to ensure that the Committee itself is properly representative, members are drawn from geographical regions and from the main Law Society groups.

There is currently a vacancy for the south-east seat on the committee.

The term of appointment would be three years and traditionally the time commitment required has not been high.

However, the committee is involved in the reform process and consequently, the number of meetings is likely to increase to approximately three for the remainder of this calendar year.

Nominations to the south-east seat are invited from solicitors in the geographical area.

Nominations should be sent as soon as possible to Elizabeth Kwok, Secretariat, Corporate Planning and Administration, The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL.

LDE 56 (tel: 020 7320 5736/Direct Fax 020 7320 5759).

Recent information from the Law Society's library

Access to childrenInitiative of the French Presidency for a Regulation giving separated or divorced parents across the EU, the right of access to their children.

Published in the Official Journal C 234 p.7, or available at http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/oj/2000/c_23420000815en.html

CompetitionThe Competition Act 1998 (Transitional, Consequential and Supplemental Provisions) Order 2000 SI 2000: 2031.

Most articles come into force on 1 September 2000; the remainder on 1 March 2001.

Available at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2000/20002031.htm

CourtsCode of Conduct (Magistrates' Courts Committees and Selection Panels) Order 2000 SI 2000: 2148.

Covers the selection of members of magistrates' courts committees.

Comes into force on 1 September 2000.

Available at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/ si2000/20002148.htm

European UnionThe Council of the European Union is planning a draft Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Designed to consolidate and make more visible the fundamental rights and freedoms of EU citizens it will incorporate rights enshrined in the European Convention as well as social and economic rights.

Details of the Charter and its work programme are available on the Council of the European Union Web site at http://db.consilium.eu.int/df/ default.asp?lang=en

Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Member States of the European Union.

Published in Official Journal C 197 of 12 July 2000, p.1 Available at: http://europa.eu.int/ eur-lex/en/oj/2000/ c_19720000712en.html

Legal aidR M Broudie & Co (a Firm) v Lord Chancellor, The Times, 4 July 2000 (QBD)Legal aid order from first instance criminal proceedings ceased when leave to appeal was refused.

Available at: http://www.the-times.co.uk/

SentencingHale v Tanner, The Times, 22 August (CA).

The court set out points worth considering when sentencing in proceedings for contempt of court in family cases such as for breach of non-molestation order.

Available at: http://www.the-times.co.uk/

Supply of new carsOrder 2000 SI 2000: 2088.

Addresses the unfair competition issues identified in the April 2000 Competition Commission report New Cars: A report on the supply of new motor cars within the UK.

Comes into force on 1 September 2000.

Available at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/ si2000/20002088.htm

TaxationFinance Act 2000, Section 108(3), (Appointed Day) Order 2000 SI 2000: 2082 (C.54)Brings various provisions of the Finance Act 2000 into force on 22nd August 2000.

Available at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/ si2000/20002082.htm

This list has been compiled by the Law Society's library.

For further information please call the library's enquiry service, tel: 0870 606 2511 or e-mail: lib-enq@lawsociety.org.uk

Copies of most items are available via the library's charged document delivery service: a photocopying application form is available on the Internet at www.library.lawsociety.org.uk