NOTICES

Law Society notices

Family mediation panel - appointment of chief assessor

The Law Society is inviting applications for the part-time position of chief assessor of the family mediation panel.

It is particularly interested in hearing from solicitors with significant experience in family mediation practice who can afford to devote approximately two to three days per month to panel-related work.

The post, which will carry an honorarium of 4,500 per year plus expenses, will include:

l Assisting with the development of criteria, application processes and marking schemes;

l Publishing competencies for family mediation practitioners;

l Assisting with the appointment and training of a panel of assessors;

l Assessing training programmes and materials of family mediation training organisations against the Society's mediation training standards and criteria;

l Visiting training organisations both applying for special accreditation and those already accredited;

l Advising and reporting to the relevant Society committees;

l Advising Society adjudicators and staff on appeals, individual applications and technical issues, and;

l Such other duties as may be necessary in the proper fulfilment of the role of chief assessor.

The appointment will be for a contracted term of three years.

Those wishing to receive further details should write to Christine Caswell of the Professional Accreditation (Development) Unit, the Law Society, Ipsley Court, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0TD, DX 19114 Redditch; tel: 01527 517141, ext 3460; fax 01527 500018; or e-mail: christine.caswell@lawsociety.org.uk.

The closing date for applications is 23 August 2002.

Interviews will be held during the week of 4 September 2002.

The Law Society is striving to ensure equal opportunity for all.

Continuing professional development - invitation to authorised in-house providers

The Law Society is currently undertaking a review of the procedures for the authorisation and monitoring of continuing professional development (CPD) providers.

As part of that process the Society's CPD team will be organising some focus groups towards the end of September.

A number of in-house providers, selected at random, will be invited to attend.

Whether or not your organisation is one of those invited to attend one of the meetings, there is an opportunity for you to express your views on the current arrangements.

(A separate exercise to capture the views of 'external' providers is also under way.)

Your views are invited on the ways by which the Society seeks to promote the quality and standards of in-house CPD provision.

In addition, you might wish to comment in particular on the following points:

l The information available prior to submitting an application for authorisation;

l The clarity of the application for authorisation forms;

l The way in which your application was processed;

l The Society's requirements in relation to the quality of courses and tutors;

l The Society's requirements in relation to the keeping of records, and;

l The current monitoring arrangements.

Solicitors who would like to comment on these issues should write to the CPD Team, the Law Society, Ipsley Court, Berrington Close, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0TD (DX 19114 Redditch), to arrive by 30 August 2002.

Notices

Chancery business in the northern area - long vacation 2002

From the Court Service: During the long vacation, Judge Langan QC (sitting as a judge of the High Court) will sit at the Courthouse, 1 Oxford Row, Leeds on 2 and 15 August and at the Law Courts, Quayside, Newcastle on 13 September 2002.

Judge Behrens (sitting as a judge of the High Court) will sit at the Courthouse, 1 Oxford Row, Leeds on 28 August and 17 and 19 September and at the Law Courts, Quayside, Newcastle on 13 September 2002.

Judge McGonigal (sitting as a judge of the High Court) will sit at the Courthouse, 1 Oxford Row, Leeds on 2, 9, 16 and 23 August and 6, 13, 19 and 20 September and at the Law Courts, Quayside, Newcastle on 30 August and 27 September 2002.

Judge Howarth (sitting as a judge of the High Court) will sit at the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Derby Square, Liverpool on 9 and 30 August and 20 September 2002.

Judge Maddocks (sitting as a judge of the High Court) will sit at the Courts of Justice, Crown Square, Manchester on 2 and 16 August and at the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Derby Square, Liverpool on 23 August 2002.

Judge Cooke (sitting as a judge of the High Court) will sit at the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Derby Square, Liverpool on 27 September 2002.

His Honour Judge George (sitting as a judge of the High Court) will sit at the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Derby Square, Liverpool on 6 and 13 September 2002.

Judges of the Chancery Division will also sit on such other days as may be necessary for the purpose of hearing those applications that require to be immediately or promptly heard and are within their jurisdiction, which according to the practice in the Chancery Division are usually heard in court or by the judge in chambers personally.

Papers for use in court

The following papers must be lodged in the District Registry in which the case is proceeding by 1pm three days before the day on which the application is to be made:

(a) A certificate of counsel that the case requires to be immediately or promptly heard and stating concisely the reasons;

(b) Two copies of the notice of application bearing the District Registry seal;

(c) Two copies of the writ and of the pleadings (if any), and;

(d) Office copy affidavits in support and in answer (if any).

If the case is proceeding in the Manchester District Registry, the papers - which need only include one copy of (b) and (c) - may be lodged at that registry by 1pm two days prior to the day on which the application is to be made.

In cases of great urgency, the papers may be sent direct by post to the Listing Officer (Chancery Division), Manchester District Registry, the Courts of Justice, Crown Square, Manchester M60 9DJ.

Solicitors should apply to the clerk in court for the return of their papers immediately after the application has been disposed of.

Applications to the vacation judge direct

When the vacation judge is not sitting, application may be made to him personally, but only cases of extreme urgency.

For additional details, contact the Court Manager, Manchester County Court, the Courts of Justice, Crown Square, Manchester M60 9DJ.