Current Awareness » legal profession

Lawyers protest outside parliament against legal aid cuts – The Guardian

sally — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:09:08 +0000

“Hundreds, some wearing wigs and gowns, demonstrate against justice secretary’s plans, which they say undermine UK justice.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal profession joins forces to oppose unreasonable legal aid proposals – The Bar Council

sally — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:14:58 +0000

“Representatives of the Law Society and the Bar Council have joined forces with wider practitioner bodies to oppose the Ministry of Justice Consultation on proposed savage cuts to the funding of the Criminal Legal Aid Budget, the introduction of Price Competitive Tendering and other changes to the criminal justice system.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 14th May 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Legal aid cuts prompt top lawyers to leave the bar for careers on the bench – The Guardian

sally — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:00:06 +0000

“It has been dubbed the stampede for ‘the purple lifeboat’ – applications to become judges have more than doubled over the past four years as senior lawyers seek professional sanctuary on the bench.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Undermine Legal Aid and you put our entire justice system at risk – The Independent

sally — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:57:51 +0000

“Now top legal talent will find the prospect of working in criminal courts less attractive.”

Full story

The Independent, 14th May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Family law: a “time-consuming and morally shadowy activity”? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

sally — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:26:29 +0000

“Recently an article in the Guardian described family law as a ‘time-consuming and morally shadowy activity’ and suggested that family lawyers ‘sleep in a bed that has been paid for by the unhappiness of others’. This was an article on ‘gold diggers’, a group hardly representative of the general population. But if ever a profession needed good PR, it’s family lawyers. The legal profession as a whole gets a pretty bad press, making it a fairly easy task for the government to promote other methods of obtaining legal advice and dispute resolution, as if entering the office of a lawyer who works with individual clients is something to be avoided, an easy way to empty your wallet with no obvious benefits.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 14th May 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Regulation at home, but not abroad – Gresham College Lecture

tracey — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:49:36 +0000

“In December 2012 Sir Geoffrey Nice finished four years as Vice Chair of the Bar Standards Board, the body that regulates barristers. After forty years in practice as a barrister, that included seven years working as an employed barrister in the UN, he will describe the differences between practice in a regulated legal community and practice in the UN system that operates with little effective regulation apart from what national systems impose on individual prosecution and defence lawyers. He will also review what he learnt as a regulator from looking critically at the Bar of England and Wales. The Bar of England and Wales and the country’s legal system as a whole proudly assert that they are the best in the world. Are these claims justified? If so, why was legislation thought to be necessary to regulate them more closely, and was that legislation wise?”

Transcript

Lecture by Professor Sir Geoffrey Nice QC

Gresham College, 8th May 2013

Source: www.gresham.ac.uk

Tour Report #21: Podcast with Michael Turner QC, Chairman of The Criminal Bar Association, on the legal aid reforms – Charon QC

sally — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:05:29 +0000

“Michael Turner QC has robust views on the proposed reforms which will have a considerable impact on access to justice, the profession, the public and have a devastating effect on the very cornerstone of our democracy.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 30th April 2013

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

Keir Starmer to stand down as director of public prosecutions – The Guardian

sally — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:42:33 +0000

“The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, is to stand down after five years in the high-pressure legal post.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Bellwether Report 2013: Survive or Thrive? – Legal Week

sally — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:30:33 +0000

“The LexisNexis Bellwether Report, Survive or Thrive?, takes the temperature of independent lawyers, sole practitioners and owner/lawyers in smaller law firms, to see how they are dealing with the current financial, regulatory and legal climate.”

Full story

Legal Week, 17th April 2013

Source: www.legalweek.com

Bar Council launches first ever Bar Nursery – The Bar Council

sally — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:06:23 +0000

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today launched the ‘Bar Nursery at Smithfield House’, a central London childcare facility in partnership with Smithfield House Children’s Nursery.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 16th April 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

The case for QASA – Legal Futures

sally — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:25:46 +0000

“David Wolfe QC of Matrix Chambers argues that the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) is a necessary step to assure the competence of criminal advocates and answers the main criticisms levelled by its opponents.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 9th April 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

State of the sector report: one in three legal aid practitioners fearful of redundancy – Legal Voice

sally — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:26:55 +0000

“Nearly one in three civil legal aid practitioners reckon the LASPO cuts leave them at risk of redundancy. A report drawing on an on-line survey of 674 individuals working in legal aid found that almost two-thirds of specialist advisers felt at risk of redundancy (63.4%) and almost half of those fearing redundancy (44.8%) had more than 10 years’ experience.”

Full story

Legal Voice, 5th April 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Jackson: lawyers welcome implementation of long-awaited reforms – The Lawyer

sally — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:16:15 +0000

“Disputes lawyers across the market have broadly welcomed the Jackson Reforms, which come into force today, saying they will ease the burden created by disclosure.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 1st April 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

And so it begins – Litigation Futures

sally — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:15:36 +0000

“So here we are at last, nearly five years since the then Master of the Rolls, Lord Clarke, announced his intention to launch what turned out to be the Jackson review (a story I broke, if I can be allowed the immodesty of mentioning it). It has certainly had its ups and downs since then, the biggest up undoubtedly being the 2010 election result, without which Sir Rupert’s report may well still be lying in the long grass.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 2nd April 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Our justice system is being turned into Profit & Growth plc – The Guardian

sally — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:42:11 +0000

“Under Chris Grayling’s plans, lawyers will become unit-shifters employed by large corporations.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

QASA: part of a sustained attack on legal aid? – LegalVoice

sally — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:08:53 +0000

“Amongst criminal lawyers, the issues surrounding QASA – the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates – that have been rumbling on for a few years, is coming to a head, writes Dan Bunting. The Criminal Bar Association have come out very strongly against it which prompted a strong response from Baroness Ruth Deech, the Chair of the Bar Standards Board. It has also managed to achieve the impossible – uniting barristers and solicitors.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 21st March 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Are future criminal barristers out of touch with reality? – The Guardian

sally — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:45:49 +0000

“The criminal bar may be facing its darkest moment but applications for bar school continue to rise.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The “noisy minority” of barristers opposed to QASA hit back at BSB claims – Legal Futures

sally — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:03:40 +0000

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) chair’s description of opponents of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) as ‘a noisy minority of dissenters’ received an immediate high-powered response from criminal law barristers.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 21st March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Equal pay in City law: is there a light at the end of the tunnel? – The Guardian

tracey — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:58:05 +0000

“We urgently need up to date research on gender and equality pay within the legal sector, say LSB.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Family Mediation Council’s Professional Practice Consultants Conference 2013 – Speech by Lord McNally

tracey — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:17:15 +0000

“Family Mediation Council’s Professional Practice Consultants Conference 2013, speech by Lord McNally, 14th March 2013.”

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 14th March 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Reform agenda to create “two-tier Bar”, with bulk of chambers to suffer – Legal Futures

sally — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:32:09 +0000

“Legal aid cuts, the Jackson reforms and the introduction of competitive tendering for criminal law work will split the Bar into a two-tier profession, with mid-sized generalist chambers set to suffer, a specialist Bar consultant has predicted.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 12th March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government backs Level 4 apprenticeships to offer new route into law – Legal Futures

sally — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:16:37 +0000

“A new route into the legal profession is launched today in a bid to improve access and diversity in the law.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 11th March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal professional privilege and employment law – Hardwicke Chambers

sally — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:56:40 +0000

“In R (on the application of Prudential Plc and another) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and another [2013] UKSC 1 a majority of the Supreme Court held that legal advice privilege does not extend to protect legal advice given by professionals who are not lawyers and that it is for Parliament, not the courts, to decide whether and how the privilege should be extended.”

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 19th February 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Ian Brady’s mental health advocate will not face charges – BBC News

tracey — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:17:39 +0000

“Moors murderer Ian Brady’s mental health advocate will not face charges over
allegations she failed to disclose information about the location of one of his
victims’ remains.”

Full story

BBC News, 11th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK law is a booming export but at home crime work doesn’t pay – The Guardian

sally — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:14:38 +0000

“While financial law mushrooms, legal aid cuts are threatening basic access to the system and the future of high street solicitors.”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council and Law Society at loggerheads as standard terms of contract come into force – Legal Futures

sally — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:57:26 +0000

“Barristers could end up uninsured and in financial hardship if they agree to variations of their new standard terms of contract recommended by the Law Society, the Bar Council has warned.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 31st January 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar Council welcomes BSB proposed changes to public access – The Bar Council

sally — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:01:45 +0000

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has welcomed the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) proposed changes to Public Access training, which look to ‘enhance the course content and introduce an element of formal assessment’ to ensure barristers have the requisite knowledge and skills to carry out public access work.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 29th January 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

A new generation of lawyers – LegalVoice

sally — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:25:42 +0000

“As the Skills Minister Matthew Hancock gives his backing for Apprentice Lawyers, Nick Skeet of Skills for Justice discusses the impact on the industry and what this could mean for legal aid.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 30th January 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Setting the matter straight – The Bar Council

sally — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:29:33 +0000

“The merits of joining forces with the Law Society and CILEx; the need to help facilitate the transition to the new world, even if its flaws are readily apparent; the Bar as guardians of the Rule of Law; and a fond farewell.”

Full story (PDF)

The Bar Council, December 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Simplify complaints procedures, OFT tells profession – Law Society’s Gazette

sally — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:13:21 +0000

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has urged the legal profession to simplify its complaints procedures, following the publication of research showing that only one in eight dissatisfied customers goes on to make a formal complaint.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 28th January 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal professional privilege fight goes on – Law Society’s Gazette

sally — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:43:24 +0000

“The fight to defend legal professional privilege looks set to continue, despite last week’s landmark victory for the profession in the Supreme Court. Parliament was urged to consider extending the scope of LPP in the wake of the judgment by the 140,000-member Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 28th January 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Regina (Prudential plc and another) v Special Comr of Income Tax and another (Institute of Chartered Accountants and others intervening) – WLR Daily

tracey — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:02:58 +0000

Regina (Prudential plc and another) v Special Comr of Income Tax and another (Institute of Chartered Accountants and others intervening): [2013] UKSC 1; [2013] WLR (D) 20

“Legal advice privilege would not be extended to communications in connection with advice given by professional people other than members of the legal profession, even where that advice was legal advice which the professional person was qualified to give.”

WLR Daily, 23rd January 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

R (on the application of Prudential plc and another) (Appellants) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and another (Respondents) – Supreme Court

sally — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:27:35 +0000

R (on the application of Prudential plc and another) (Appellants) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and another (Respondents) [2013] UKSC 1 | UKSC 2010/0215 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 23rd January 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Blackstone’s Pannick fails to persuade Supreme Court to extend privilege to accountants – The Lawyer

sally — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:36:10 +0000

“The Supreme Court has refused to extend legal privilege to accountants offering tax advice.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 23rd January 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

A Time of Change: Solicitors’ Firms in England and Wales – Ministry of Justice

sally — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:00:23 +0000

“A report setting out findings from a survey of solicitors’ firms commissioned jointly by the Law Society, Legal Services Board and Ministry of Justice.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, January 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Courtroom Drama – BBC Unreliable Evidence

sally — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:22:30 +0000

“Following the return of Rumpole to Radio 4, Clive Anderson and his guests discuss how accurately the legal world is depicted in stage and screen dramas. And they discuss the issues which arise when the distinctions between fiction and fact – between Rumpole and reality – become blurred in the public’s mind.”

Listen

BBC Unreliable Evidence, 29th December 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Fair access to the legal profession – The Guardian

sally — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 09:40:50 +0000

“City law firms are exploring ways to remove barriers that prevent students from lower-income backgrounds pursuing a career in law.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

LSB’s regulatory assessments: Positive signs, but much further to go – Legal Services Board

sally — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:35:24 +0000

“The Legal Services Board is today publishing its first assessments of the performance of
regulators in the legal services sector. These are issued alongside a consultation on the
LSB’s draft Business Plan for 2013/14. Together these documents make clear the importance,
the LSB attaches to improving regulatory performance in the coming year.”

Full story

Legal Services Board, 12th December 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Phillips & Co (a firm) v Bath Housing Co-operative Ltd – WLR Daily

sally — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:16:24 +0000

Phillips & Co (a firm) v Bath Housing Co-operative Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 1591; [2012] WLR (D) 372

“A solicitors’ claim for costs, billed but not yet fixed by assessment or agreement, fell within the phrase ‘debt or other liquidated pecuniary claim’ in section 29(5)(a) of the Limitation Act 1980.”

WLR Daily, 11th December 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

“Engaged and in Control” – Incoming Bar Chairman sets Vision for Future – The Bar Council

sally — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:26:24 +0000

“Maura McGowan QC, the incoming Chairman of the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, will this evening deliver her inaugural address at the Bar Council’s offices, in which she will set out a vision for a profession which is engaged and in control of its future.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 10th December 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Related link: Engaged and in Control (PDF)

Legal Academics: Forgotten Players or Interlopers? – The Hon. Mr Justice Beatson

sally — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:34:13 +0000

Legal Academics: Forgotten Players or Interlopers? (PDF)

The Hon. Mr Justice Beatson

Inner Temple Reader’s Lecture Series, November 2012

Source: www.innertemple.org.uk

Points of review – The Lawyer

sally — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:55:03 +0000

“The widely criticised Legal Education and Training Review is in its final stages. Opinion is divided on whether it will achieve its objectives.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 26th November 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

MoJ plans for judicial review reform face sceptical response from lawyers – Legal Week

sally — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:42:16 +0000

“The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to reform the judicial review process in an attempt to reduce the number of ‘weak or ill-conceived cases’ the Government says are clogging up courts, with the news greeted with a sceptical response from the legal profession.”

Full story

Legal Week, 19th November 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Lawyers say Clarke’s justice bill smacks of repressive and undemocratic regimes – The Guardian

sally — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:26:45 +0000

“Secret trials and withholding evidence are reminiscent of ‘repressive regimes and undemocratic societies’, the legal profession warns in a letter opposing the government’s justice and security bill.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Chancery Lane hits out at LETR over claim – Law Society’s Gazette

tracey — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:41:49 +0000

“The Law Society has hit back at claims that the current system of legal education and training is unfit for purpose. In a critical response to a discussion paper published by the cross-professional Legal Education and Training Review (LETR), the Society says it is ‘not aware of clear evidence that the current system is broken’.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 8th November 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Charon UK Tour Report #6: Professor Moorhead on legal ethics – Charon QC

sally — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 09:35:35 +0000

“Today, I am at University College London talking with Professor Richard Moorhead, Professor of Law and Professional Ethics.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 7th November 2012

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

Fitness to Practice, Integrity: should you be able to buy a used car from this person? – 11 KBW

sally — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:14:56 +0000

“An important function for regulators of the professions is to ensure that the ‘wrong’ people do not tarnish the reputation and standing of their peers. In this paper, I shall discuss some recent examples of professional misconduct, and identify some common threads between different regulatory regimes”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 31st October 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com

Pro bono: do we need to rethink the formula post legal aid? – The Guardian

sally — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:02:36 +0000

“A survey shows that most law firms have not planned to change their pro bono activity to respond to the cuts in legal aid.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Litigators: Survive & Thrive – Speech by Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls

sally — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:55:34 +0000

Litigators: Survive & Thrive (PDF)

Speech by Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls

Civil Justice Section Conference, 18th October 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Brace yourself for unprecedented change, says master of rolls – Law Society’s Gazette

sally — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:31:29 +0000

“Implementing the Jackson costs reforms will inevitably lead to satellite litigation, the master of the rolls has warned. He urged courts and lawyers to ‘do what they can’ to minimise it.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 19th October 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk