'This ends now': attorney general publishes action plan to tackle disclosure failures
Geoffrey Cox QC MP says he will hold criminal justice chiefs to account if they do not deliver.
Apprentice Sarah still flying the solicitor flag
Sarah Ann Magson is starting to prove that ‘quiet and steady’ may just win the Apprentice race.
Brexit deal: City firms voice 'cautious optimism' ahead of Westminster turmoil
Lawyers warn that all possibilities remain, including another general election.
Struck-off junior lawyer's 'toxic' firm addresses working culture
McMillan Williams says it has embedded multiple new employee relations and welfare measures.
Brexit deal: Transferable IP rights confirmed
Draft withdrawal agreement also makes provisions for geographical indications and community designs.
UK to pay 'due regard' to CJEU case law following Brexit
Draft EU withdrawal deal promises independent arbitration and recognition of professional qualifications.
LCJ: Crumbling buildings would not be tolerated in other jobs
Lord Burnett calls for substantial investment to bring court facilities up to scratch.
'Urgent' change needed after latest 'worker v self employed' row
Law Society says government should follow through on commitments to consult on changes.
Government has ‘will’ to make Euro patent court work
Intellectual property minister confident of retaining UK’s place in proposed court.
Supreme Court deals blow to second medical use patents
Pfizer said pharmaceutical companies should be able to protect second medical use patents.
Solicitor steps in pro bono to help LiP leaseholder take on council
Mari Knowles says it is not fair that Southwark resident should defend herself alone in appeal.
Directors fined £40k after not paying disbursements while firm collapsed
Three Liverpool solicitors make agreed outcome with the regulator after fallout from firm’s closure.
CPS braces for 'no deal' Brexit by hiring extra lawyers
Director of Public Prosecutions Max Hill QC says UK withdrawal from the EU could affect many cases.
'Every lawyer should understand': High Court ruling raises wellbeing concerns
Judgment in SRA appeals prompts call for new 'fitness to practise' rules.
First Court of Appeal hearing to be live-streamed in full
Test case will involve dispute over seating at the former Olympic Stadium in east London.
Bar challenges police chiefs over Welsh speakers in interviews
Chief constables say a duty to provide a simultaneous translation service is unreasonable and disproportionate.
Housing court back on government agenda
Communities secretary James Brokenshire says proposals will ensure tenants and landlords can access justice.
Kathleen Russ takes charge at Travers Smith
Tax specialist will be City firm’s first woman senior partner.
Solicitor who endured 'abominable' working conditions is struck off by High Court
SRA's successful appeal of tribunal decision will be seen as precedent for sanctioning solicitors with mental health problems.
Video hearings set for expansion with County Court pilot
HMCTS continues to roll out remote justice after success of tax tribunal experiment.
Russia law reform could prompt exodus of international firms
International firms in Russia could be curtailed by new laws awaiting debate, Russia Law Week conference hears.
MPs to probe if NDAs are concealing pregnancy discrimination or racist abuse
Maria Miller, chair of the Commons women and equalities committee, says their deployment in sexual harassment cases is only part of the picture.
Barrister Lester faces Lords suspension over sexual harassment claims
Lord Lester of Herne Hill reportedly offered complainant a ‘corrupt inducement to have sexual relations’.
Failing courts: Defendant walked 12 miles on unlit road at night to get home
Shropshire advocates say their concerns about court changes have fallen on deaf ears.
QOCS judgment muddies the waters on costs-shifting
Lawyers believe issue raised by litigation following cycling accident may have to be determined at a higher level.
Whistleblowing DJ seeks to raise £10,000 to fund Supreme Court challenge
Claire Gilham says judges should not face sanctions for trying to correct mistakes in the justice system.
Bogus immigration lawyers charged thousands for useless advice
In one case, victim faces deportation after receiving ill-informed advice.
Saudis serve proceedings by text
Kingdom's civil courts reveal high tech ambitions.
Over 1,000 lawyers embrace remote-working 'gig economy'
Numbers working in the burgeoning sector grow by 29% in 2018.
Liverpool offices jump into Christmas battle
Two Liverpool law firms are going head-to-head this Christmas to see who can come up with the finest festive knitwear.
News focus: 'Race to the bottom' on the high street?
Further deregulation of the market opens the door to a race to bottom on client protection, claims the Law Society. And there is no evidence it will boost access to justice
Tribunal fees revisited and other news in brief
This week’s news in brief.
New contract battleground for AI in law
AI system will be used to spot areas of risk in large collections of supplier contracts.
Pardon for lord with axe to grind
A plaque in Lincoln’s Inn Fields remembers Lord William Russell, acknowledging a pardon that came a little too late.
Gauke short of inspiration
Lord chancellor David Gauke was asked to name a woman in the law who inspires him. Can you guess his answer?
Top judge orders rethink to stop experts pipeline 'drying up'
Sir Andrew McFarlane says there is a problem with finding experts for family cases.
Solicitors 'not a special case' - SRA justifies disciplinary overhaul
Panel debates lowering the standard of proof at the SDT.
Law Society braces for ‘no-deal’ Brexit
A series of papers to help solicitors prepare for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit have been published on the Law Society website.
MoJ sets minimum standards to improve probation performance
MPs say government response is mostly positive but are worried proposed reforms do not go far enough.
Britain's costliest divorce: Oligarch can keep £360m yacht as Dubai judge overrules High Court
A Sharia court in Dubai has ignored an order from the High Court that an oligarch must hand over a £350m yacht to his ex-wife as part of the UK’s biggest divorce settlement. Lawyers say the development further underlines the difficulty of enforcing UK divorce orders abroad.
Co-op Legal claims to get divorce process down to eight weeks
The alternative business structure is participating in two HM Courts & Tribunals Service pilots.
Ban for dishonest sole practitioner who overbilled clients
Joanne Gordon also occupied premises she was supposed to be renting out for estate beneficiaries.
British-Afghan barrister 'overwhelmed' by support after 'white male' request
Law Society says solicitors should refuse a client's instruction if it leads to unlawful discrimination.
Job losses possible as Slater and Gordon closes department
Closure comes as plans also unveiled to relocate staff based in Leeds to new office.
CPS getting names wrong in letters to crime victims, inspector finds
Inspectors criticise lack of empathy in letters sent by liaison unit set up to ensure people receive empathetic letters.
Apprentice latest: solicitor's airline struggles to take off
(Spoiler alert)
No basis for face-to-face justice, says digital court guru Susskind
'Online is not an alternative to the courts system, it is the courts system,' Richard Susskind tells conference.
Revealed: New super-exam for solicitors could cost up to £4,500
Regulator estimates SQE will cost between £3,000 and £4,500 - and confirms start date has been delayed.
US class action firm offshoot off to a flyer with £5bn claim
SPG Law will seek compensation on behalf of victims of the 2015 Samarco dam collapse.
SRA chief declines to reveal costs of failed Leigh Day appeal
Paul Philip says seven-week hearing which attracted huge publicity was ‘just another case’.
Gauke: we need to tackle diversity gap in senior law firm roles
Justice secretary says there are fewer women in the pipeline of candidates to join the judiciary.
Practice reforms: consumer watchdog urges SRA to take responsibility
Relaxing the rules to allow solicitors to practise in unregulated businesses must be accompanied by more information, says the Legal Services Consumer Panel.
Convicted benefits fraudster struck off
Non-practising solicitor continued to deny dishonesty after her conviction.
Employment tribunal fees may be resurrected, MoJ confirms
‘Proportionate and progressive’ fee system will be reintroduced, says permsec Heaton.
Government backs property logbooks to speed conveyancing
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government wants more information to be provided up front to ease a homebuying process that takes 'a hell of a long time'.
‘Big boys play by different rules’, anti-bribery probe hears
Lawyers report ‘sense of unfairness’ that smaller companies more likely to face prosecution.
City firm's AI tool 'will help in-house counsel decide on disputes'
Clear/Cut programme will allow for extensive review that would be ’prohibitively large and costly’ to evaluate with humans.
Chancery Lane brands green light for freelance solicitors 'a serious error'
Concerns about client protection are played down as handbook changes are approved.
Student wins fees appeal against closing firm that 'left him in the lurch'
Court finds firm on brink of closure did not give reasonable notice about ending its retainer.
SRA insists avoiding conveyancing conflict 'fundamental' as firm fined £2k
Greater Manchester practice admits systems did not work in handful of cases.
SFO drops case against mining chief
Benedikt Sobotka had been wanted for questioning but his prosecution is now discontinued.
Judges' pensions: dispute could run long into 2019, court hears
Dispute over transitional pension provisions being heard by Lord Justice Longmore, Sir Colin Rimer and Sir Patrick Elias this week.
All law firms should publish gender pay gap figures - Law Society
Firms should also consider collecting data on disability and ethnicity pay gaps, Chancery Lane recommends.
Commercial lawyers clamour to slam ‘broken’ criminal justice system
Both sides of the profession concerned at erosion of criminal justice system.
One month to go: countdown on price publishing rules
Firms also told they can download ‘digital badge’ which will itself become mandatory.
Government resurrects probate fee hikes - but bows to pressure over richest estates
New system will reduce fee cap by 70% but raise less money for investment in the courts.
China: Paris forum targets global supremacy in dispute resolution
Dispute resolution centres are hoping to be regarded as an attractive option for resolving Belt & Road disputes.
‘Fantastical’ to assume Beijing control over Hong Kong
Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre markets itself as an attractive forum for dispute resolution.
Over 1,500 lawyers call for further Brexit referendum
Letter signed by 1,500 solicitors, barristers and academics will be delivered to Downing Street.
Revealed: Liverpool firm sunk by £15m claims linked to employee transactions
Documents also reveal Simpson Millar will pay no more than £2.6m for defunct EAD Solicitors.
Female talent drain still a problem for profession - Rafferty LJ
Vice-chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission highlights the challenge of retaining diversity.
Judge throws out claim that firm erred on retainer duty
Court rejects argument that even if issues were not part of retainer, it ‘should have been obvious’ to lawyers from involvement in negotiations that claimant needed to get advice about his rights.
WW1: At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day
To mark the centenary of the end of the first world war, we look back on how the profession reacted to the armistice and commemorated the 910 solicitors and clerks who died on active service.
SQE breakdown and other news in brief
This week’s news in brief.
Gauke eyes charity boost for access to justice
The lord chancellor has acknowledged that advice agencies are helped funded by pro bono cost orders and donations.
Gauke creates a diversion
Taking a detour from addressing our creaking justice system, the lord chancellor instead turned the spotlight on the topical debate of parliamentary privilege.
Mixed messages on mental health
A poorly-timed tweet showcases the SRA’s seemingly contradictory stance on the importance of wellbeing.
Memory lane 5 November 2018
A stroll down Gazette memory lane.
Defendants pay heavy price for refusing to discuss costs
Judge says defendants could have addressed their concerns about costs by engaging the Part 36 process.
Neill tells government: no shame in admitting we went too far on legal aid
Politicians make impassioned pleas during three-hour Westminster Hall debate.
LiP's late email 'not sufficient' to justify adjournment
Appeal court backs judge’s decision not to accede to litigant in person’s request.
MoJ denies £1.1bn overspend amid fresh budget woes
National Audit Office report suggests the department would fail to meet a target to reduce its spending by £500m by 2019-20.
Jailed solicitor banned after child abuse convictions
Glen Bartlett used his status as a solicitor to convince victim he would not be believed.
Firms helped with publishing prices as transparency deadline looms
Law Society practice note offers guidance for how firms can be compliant.
'Public would sympathise' with stressed solicitor who turns dishonest, court told
Submissions close with counsel for former TLT associate urging judges not to strike him off.
Macfarlanes includes partners to expose 75% gender pay gulf
Macfarlanes has become the second City heavyweight to publish gender pay gap data for 2018, joining a growing band of firms which have bowed to pressure to include partner earnings.
Court hearing into 'imposition of Chinese law' in Hong Kong concludes
Chinese law takes precedence in rail station within special administrative region.
Government targets law firm 'facilitators' profiting from dirty money
Minister will set out plans for new multi-agency national economic crime centre.
Jury is out over China's new commercial court, say lawyers
Lawyers say announcement of new Chinese court is positive but may not fend off critics just yet.
Justice Week: funding cuts 'way out of step'
Bar Council report shows that government expenditure has grown between 2008 and 2018.
