LSB study points to gaps in AI regulation
Users of AI legal systems expect safeguards - but these are largely absent, oversight regulator reveals.
Kaplan wins industry award for SQE
Solicitors Regulation Authority says exam is building confidence in the future of the legal profession.
High Court to test SRA privilege rights
Three-day hearing will be held over regulator’s right to obtain solicitor-client discussions to conduct investigations.
Tribunal backlog 'alarming' says Society
Number of open single cases soars 42% in a year.
SRA sets out post-Mazur guidance
Law firms told to take risk-based approach in eagerly-awaited response to Court of Appeal ruling.
Minister blames 'atrocious' IT systems for legal aid fee setback
Housing and immigration lawyers are still waiting for £2m of promised cash.
Claimant whose £50,000 claim was cut to £3,609 not dishonest
Judge says claimant believed he was telling the truth even if his reporting of symptoms was misleading.
Lawyer referee warms up for World Cup debut
Obiter’s desperate attempts to shoehorn the World Cup into these pages had proved fruitless, until now.
Lawyers who fight complaints to face massive rise in fees
Office for Legal Complaints consults on proposals to incentivise early resolution.
Lady chief justice commends AI usage by litigants in person
Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill also reminds parliamentarians to 'respect the work of the judges and the courts'.
Funder fails in JR challenge to Mastercard claim distribution
Competition Appeal Tribunal was entitled to award Innsworth Capital a profit margin of 50%, divisional court finds.
Gallery: London Legal Walk 2026
The sun shone last night on the thousands of lawyers and others taking part in the 2026 London Legal Walk.
Solicitor raided client accounts as stricken firm hit overdraft limit
Sole remaining partner said he was trying to preserve Consett firm for loyal staff and clients.
MPs deliver damning verdict on jury trial reforms
Justice committee says government should have sought consensus from MPs and public before pushing ahead with Courts and Tribunals Bill.
Evans to take the reins at LawCare
Law Society president named as mental health charity's next chief executive.
Tribunal rejects JAC bid to recover costs from journalist
Society of Editors welcomes tribunal ruling as important reminder about public-interest journalism.
Claims firm sees off winding up petition
Ryans Solicitors specialises in housing disrepair, undisclosed commissions and finance claims, as well as investor action group claims.
Reformers ask why pleas for urgent PACCAR reversal being ignored
Members of Civil Justice Council working group say delays to implementing landmark report are causing more damage.
'We want to be early adopters': justice to lead government's AI action plan
Solicitors Regulation Authority and Legal Service Board join 'AI Growth Lab', which aims to develop software to tackle courts backlog.
Record-breaking £4m PI claim thrown out over dishonesty
Social media analysis and surveillance showed claims of life-changing injuries were wildly over-stated.
'AI assistants' could help cut backlog, says Lammy
Lord chancellor announces tests of a tool to help identify trial-ready cases and group similar hearings together.
CAT president warns against 'Disneyfied' modelling
Tribunal sees concerning ‘blurring of the lines’ between expert evidence and advocacy.
Irwin Mitchell linked with private equity move to fix partner issue
National firm says it regularly reviews its funding options but has made no final decision.
Solicitor's claims against SRA and journalist dismissed
Practitioner's behaviour 'warranted an investigation', employment tribunal concludes.
Prominent barrister fined over ‘rudeness’ to lay client
Chair of the public access bar association ordered to complete two courses and pay the BSB’s costs.
Focus on class actions: All for one, one for all
The Collective Redress Lawyers Association this week debated the pros and cons of extending the opt-out class actions regime. Are redress mechanisms ‘unsuited to the breadth and types of harm’?
LAA tries to avert legal aid crisis in 45 regions
More housing and debt providers needed to maintain 'strong coverage' as new research reveals shrinking supplier base.
Memory lane
Super-exam delay, £27m reform bill and legal aid for the poor: a stroll down Gazette memory lane.
In depth: New High Court division aims to boost accessibility of justice
Lady chief justice Baroness Carr has unveiled a ‘historic’ modernisation of dispute resolution with the formation of the Business and Property Division of the High Court.
Acumen (and make yourself comfortable)
Solicitors Regulation Authority thrusts its hand out again.
A plague on both your houses
New York Supreme Court bench's indignation about fabricated authorities was not reserved for the perpetrator.
Claims firm looks to succession with move to employee ownership
Founders plan to step away from the business over the next three years.
Judge shows leniency after solicitor’s email attachment mistake
Employment Appeal Tribunal grants extension of time in the interests of justice.
Sole practitioners struggling to register with HMRC
HM Revenue & Customs promises to issue updated guidance on its new tax adviser registration requirement.
MoJ unveils family law reforms to protect unmarried couples
Stronger protections for bereaved partners and domestic abuse victims while nuptial agreements would become legally binding.
'Evasive and untruthful' solicitor liable for £834k property scheme deception
Fraud claim against bankrupt solicitor ‘kept alive’ under Insolvency Act, High Court finds.
Mother and daughter put together 90 years' service with same firm
Karen Powell, head receptionist at south Wales firm Harding Evans, is following a similar path to her mother Yvonne.
Decades of reviews have failed to fix civil justice crisis, says new report
Academic commissioned by Nuffield Foundation rejects notion that civil justice should be treated as part of the 'service sector'.
Claims firm investigated over allegations of forged signatures
Company says issues are historical and relate to third-party suppliers.
Firm’s head barred from profession over client account transfers
Action taken in the same week as SRA orders separation of compliance and management roles.
SQE no longer casts a spell on candidates
Solicitors Regulation Authority announces spell check tool will be trialled for SQE2 written assessments in July.
Claimants face costs clampdown over 'cavalier' approach to £1bn case
Court rejects plea to slice £4m off the final costs bill in National Lottery case after 'extraordinary' conduct.
Post Office accused of 'shifting responsibility' to lawyers on new appeals
Organisation says it has a legal duty to review cases and bring issues to court’s attention.
'Overfamiliar' district judge sacked for inappropriate conduct
Disciplinary panel recommended reprimand, but lord chancellor and lady chief justice overturned its decision.
Private equity bypasses top-100 in favour of scalable legal practices
Less money coming into the legal sector, but number of PE deals is rising fast.
SRA recovers just £2m after paying out millions to Axiom Ince clients
Latest figures reveal slow progress in recouping some of the money paid out by the profession.
Charities appalled as Supreme Court overturns 'acid test' on deprivation of liberty
Ruling ‘devalues the rights and dignity of disabled people in this country’, say charity interveners who warn of 'chaos'.
Administrator probing transfers made by funder on brink of collapse
‘Substantial payments’ made in the days leading up to administrator’s appointment.
Disputes Week: national courts team up to tackle ‘avalanche of legal spam’
Cost of accessing the courts will also have to be reviewed as AI-generated claims multiply, says former lord chief justice.
CLC insists referral fees 'legitimate' despite lack of transparency
Specialist regulator's review exposes disclosure gaps and 'largely non-compliant' websites.
SRA to require all law firms to submit annual accountants' reports
Managers and money-holders will no longer be allowed to fill compliance roles as well.
Disputes Week: Truth of mass claims contested as litigators clash
Conflicting views on group litigation surge aired at LIDW’s main conference.
Lady chief justice announces new High Court division
Chancellor of the High Court Sir Colin Birss will assume title of president of the Business and Property Division.
Solicitor suspended over misleading information on PII forms
East London solicitor agrees to pay more than £24,000 in costs.
Law firm employees get protection to expose misconduct
Regulator says potential whistleblowers can now feel assured that they will not suffer retaliation from bosses.
Over 200,000 sign petition demanding probe of Fordingbridge judge
Petition calls for 'formal judicial accountability framework' including mandatory sentencing reviews.
Pogust Goodhead faces claim for £2.2m unpaid legal bill
Master Pester allows application of London-based firm Seladore for summary judgment of PGMBM’s amended defence and counterclaim.
Magistrate sanctioned for saying he would give defendant a 'hiding'
Hearing had been difficult and stressful, causing magistrate to 'briefly lose his composure'.
Class action cash to support law centres and Citizens Advice
Unclaimed damages from boundary fares class action will support access to justice initiatives.
Court of Appeal dismisses City firm’s appeal in CFA dispute
Judges found there was no ‘compelling reason why an appeal should be heard in this case’.
Boardroom reshuffle at Payne Hicks Beach
Chair steps down after seven years during which income and profitability have surged at 256-year-old firm.
Disability in law and justice on show at RCJ
New exhibition will celebrate the experiences, strengths and contributions of disabled people working across the justice system.
Law firms acting as Legal Aid Agency's 'bank', practitioners complain
Stakeholder meeting reveals that cash-strapped providers are paying huge upfront costs out of their own pocket.
Regulator to appeal 'insufficiently severe' sanction imposed on bullying solicitor
SRA reiterates that law firms must protect staff and create a safe working environment.
Calls grow for greater SRA transparency on complaints 'black hole'
Public left in the dark about the reasons for regulator closing cases.
Employment judge reprimanded over driving disqualification
Employment judge ‘displayed a lack of respect and observance of the law’, but submitted ‘compelling mitigation’.
Global firm in talks with UK staff about back-office cuts
Services being moved from regional offices to central hubs in Glasgow and Manila.
Legendary solicitor is still going strong at the age of 90
Jeremy Thring reflects on a remarkably long career and the person who made it possible.
ECtHR awards damages to Polish judges denied promotion by president
Refusal without reasons or the possibility of judicial review was not 'in the interests of a State governed by the rule of law'.
'Chronic neglect': Barrister in his 70s trapped in court lift during heatwave
KC tells government to fund court repairs and drop its fixation with curbing jury trials.
Manager joked about female colleague’s virginity at staff social
Senior figure also pulled at another colleague’s wheelchair in abuse of seniority.
Solicitor kept client 'off the books' to pocket fees directly
Experienced practitioner gave his own bank details to client and was paid thousands.
Law Society announces new deputy vice president
Brabners partner Jeff Lewis will be president at Chancery Lane in 2028.
Consolidator launches new brand, pledging to put integration first
Law firm chief targets top-100 and insists business will avoid pitfalls faced by other serial acquirers.
District judges sanctioned for delays
Judicial Conduct Investigations Office rules that the delays - of six months and more - amounted to misconduct.
Oscar winner joins forces with Greenpeace for anti-SLAPP film
Greenpeace International has released SLAPP Suit, which dramatises the threat of - and resistance to - strategic lawsuits against public participation.
MP calls for methanol poisoning awareness to be late solicitor's legacy
Airline and airport representatives agree to 'step up' ahead of Foreign Office's public awareness campaign.
Alarmed lawyers warn against AI dependency in wake of Pinsents failure
Calls for structural changes in law firms to prevent hallucinations slipping through the net.
Legal aid gap 'criminalising abuse victims' - report
Centre for Women’s Justice makes five recommendations to improve support for domestic abuse victim-survivors.
Former CPS lawyer convicted of child cruelty is struck off
When an individual prosecuting others commits a very serious offence himself, that 'plainly undermines the trust and confidence of the public'.
In-house lawyers shifting toward strategic leadership roles
General counsel say leadership expectations have accelerated but workplace structures have not changed.
Jobs saved as City firm acquired as it enters administration
All 40 staff jobs will be retained as private equity-backed HF grows London presence further.
Former partner at City firm loses employment appeal
First Black partner told it is not EAT’s role to ‘second guess’ the tribunal’s fact-finding.
Energy-to-tech investor Octopus bolsters legal business
Disruptor says acquisition will bring all bereavement services under one banner.
Legal support cash helps seven in 10 vulnerable clients avoid court
Ministry of Justice evaluation reveals that even those who did need to go to court were better prepared.
Ex-solicitor loses bid to return seven years after strike-off
Former lawyer cited years working for unregulated family law firm as proof he could return to roll.
SRA chair 'sorry' for regulatory failures as search begins for successor
Anna Bradley flags departure after seven years of huge change - and turmoil.
Barrister fined over 'secret collusion' allegation loses appeal
Practitioner made 'serious and unfounded' claims of misconduct against tax officials and FTT president.
MPs told Windrush compensation requires funded legal support
Commissioner tells public accounts committee that support from lawyers will result in fewer costly reviews.
Televised broadcasting from courts set for major extension
Legislation will be brought forward to allow chief magistrate's sentencing remarks and High Court cases to be broadcast.