Law Society Gazette, 11 July 2016

Bonfire of red tape heralds ABS drive

The Law Society has called for traditional law firms to compete on a ‘level playing field’ with alternative business structures as the government forges ahead with a second wave of free market reforms. Last Thursday justice minister Lord Faulks announced a fresh consultation on ‘removing barriers to competition’, stressing that ABSs have not been shown to attract any greater regulatory risk than conventional practices.  

6 July 2006

India the star in WTO push

Progress on opening up the Indian legal market would transform the Doha round of trade talks to a real success for solicitors, European trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has been told. 

10 July 1996

Labour reforms

The Labour party’s mini-manifesto makes little reference to the civil law but includes proposals for criminal reforms. Under a Labour government, a ‘tough on crime’ policy would focus on consistent sentencing and an improved system of youth justice. A system of ‘fast-track punishment’ for persistent offenders would halve the time from arrest to sentencing. 

9 July 1986

Land registration to be simplified

The Land Registration Act received the Royal Assent on 30 June. The concept behind the act is to simplify and modernise aspects of land registration, for the benefit of the public and the solicitors who use it and for the Land Registry which runs it.

7 July 1976

The right to write

Four years after the Pentagon Papers, a similar case arose for decision in England when the attorney general applied for injunctions to restrain publication of Richard Crossman’s book Diaries of a Cabinet Minister. The contrast between the English and American cases is a sharp one. 

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