All articles by Rachel Rothwell – Page 30
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News
New ministers appointed to Ministry of Justice
The Liberal Democrat’s leader in the House of Lords has been appointed as a minister in the Ministry of Justice. Lord McNally, who is also the Lib Dem spokesman on constitutional affairs, has been appointed a middle-ranking minister. The 67-year-old peer is a former Labour MP ...
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What will having Ken Clarke as justice secretary mean for solicitors?
So Kenneth Clarke is the new justice secretary. Not many people saw that one coming. Firstly, because everyone fully expected it to be Dominic Grieve, who had been shadow justice secretary, and secondly, because Clarke himself was presumed to be in line for the business role.
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Co-op launches new service for insurers
Co-operative Legal Services has today launched a ‘one-call accident management service’ for brokers and insurers in a bid increase its motor claims work. The new service will offer the full range of services – legal and non-legal – needed to resolve claims following a road traffic ...
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Can the middle classes be persuaded to seek more compensation?
There is an awful lot of talk just now about threats to solicitors’ business, particularly in commoditised areas like personal injury.
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Firms ‘bucking recessionary trend’, says survey
Law firms are ‘bucking the recessionary trend’ and proving particularly resilient to the current economic climate, research has suggested. Two in five law firms increased their turnover last year, according to a survey of 69 firms conducted by accountants BDO Stoy Hayward. ...
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Malaysian Human Rights Commission criticises treatment of lawyers
The Law Society has welcomed a report by the Malaysian Human Rights Commission published today which finds that the arrest of five legal aid lawyers last year was unlawful. The lawyers were called to the police station to represent clients who had been arrested for attending ...
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Quinn to re-enter UK insurance market
Quinn Insurance has been given permission for a limited re-entry into the UK insurance market following an announcement by the Irish Financial Regulator yesterday. However, the relaxation of the regulator’s restrictions preventing Quinn from writing new business in the UK does not extend to solicitors’ professional ...
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Co-op in new drive to promote legal services to food shoppers
The Co-operative Group is planning a new campaign to promote its legal services to food shoppers in its 3,000 supermarkets nationwide. The news came as the group, which aims to be one of the first alternative business structures, told the Gazette that it believes ‘the die ...
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Local government legal departments braced for cuts
Local government legal departments are braced for a double whammy of budget cuts and an increase in workload, exclusive research for the Gazette has revealed. The study also found that 61% of departments are considering reducing their use of external advisers. The ...
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Co-op launches advertising campaign in legal services drive
The Co-operative Group is to launch a fresh campaign to promote its legal services to food shoppers in its 3,000 supermarkets nationwide. The news comes as the group, which aims to be one of the first alternative business structures, told the Gazette that it believes ‘the ...
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A conveyancing conundrum that shows the value of high street firms
It’s a long time since I studied land law at university (about 17 years actually), but working as I do in the legal press, sometimes family members expect me to know a bit more about the niceties of conveyancing procedure than I actually do.
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‘No action needed’ on Quinn Insurance
The Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Society have both issued statements reassuring Quinn Insurance policyholders that they do not need to take action after permanent administrators were appointed to the Irish insurer yesterday. The SRA said that the full administration of Quinn under Irish ...
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SRA rules out practising certificate fee appeals
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has decided against providing a general appeals process for firms that end up paying significantly higher practising certificate fees under the new PC fee regime from 2011, it emerged last week. SRA board chair Charles Plant (pictured) told the Gazette that there ...
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‘Good firms’ should offer online services, say consumers
More than half of consumers expect ‘good law firms’ to offer their services online, research has suggested. A survey of 2,266 people carried out by YouGov and commissioned by Epoq Legal found that 56% of consumers said they expected good firms to offer services online. ...
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PC fee help for small firms and legal aid practices
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is consulting on a proposal to lessen the impact of its practising certificate fee reforms on small firms and legal aid practices for this year’s renewal. The proposal could mean around 3% of the profession would have the fee payable under the ...
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Civil litigation cases risk being ‘buried’, lord chief justice warns
The civil litigation system is at risk of being ‘buried under a mass of paperwork’ because of the way lawyers are compiling their arguments, lord chief justice Lord Judge has warned. Delivering the Judicial Studies Board lecture last week, Judge said modern technology meant lawyers were ...
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Yorkshire Forward launches two legal panels
Development agency Yorkshire Forward has launched two legal service panels. Nine firms have won a place on the two panels, with contracts that will run for three years, with an option to extend the term for a further 12 months. The ...
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Why is the profession so tough on working mums?
The Association of Women Solicitors’ recent survey confirmed something that those lawyers who work part-time – often, but not exclusively, women with children – already know only too well.
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New family practice direction promotes mediation
A new practice direction that will encourage parties in family proceedings towards mediation comes into force today. The president of the Family Division released the new Private Law Programme practice direction last week, with greater emphasis on conciliation. Under the new ...