Defensive Advising Strategies 1: What you learn from practising in the field of professional negligence – Wilberforce Chambers

‘Relatively speaking, barristers usually have rather broad practices. Even if (like me) a significant part of their practice is concerned with advisory work and drafting, barristers are often also engaged on various litigious matters relating to their underlying area of expertise, including professional negligence claims. By contrast, despite exposure to a variety of areas of practice whilst training, the organisation of many firms of solicitors can often have the effect that private client solicitors know little of litigation. For example, I once saw a draft witness statement prepared by a private client solicitor, where the parties in the heading were referred to separately in each capacity – as with a deed. And it is particularly problematic that private client lawyers often do not know very much about the field of professional negligence.’

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Wilberforce Chambers, 13th May 2021

Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk

SRA and BSB change approaches to gender in diversity surveys – Legal Futures

‘Both the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and Bar Standards Board (BSB) are this year changing their approach to recording the sex and gender of those they regulate, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 14th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyer found guilty of criminal contempt of court, fined £7k for disclosing result of Supreme Court appeal prior to judgment being handed down – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Supreme Court has fined an environmental lawyer £5,000 after finding him in criminal contempt of court for deliberately disclosing the result of an appeal prior to hand down of the judgment.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th May 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Barristers urged to be “active bystanders” in fight against harassment – Legal Futures

Posted May 11th, 2021 in barristers, bullying, harassment, news by sally

‘A project encouraging barristers to be “active bystanders” – speaking out and standing against abusive, bullying and belittling behaviour – has been launched under the name “All Rise”.’

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Legal Futures, 11th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Review of Bar exam chaos points finger at BSB and Pearson VUE – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) and electronic testing company Pearson VUE have both come under fire from the independent review of last year’s Bar professional training course (BPTC) exams.’

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Legal Futures, 7th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar Council backs Charter for Black Talent – The Bar Council

Posted May 4th, 2021 in barristers, diversity, equality, minorities, news by sally

‘The Bar Council, the barristers profession’s representative body, has today become the latest organisation to give its backing to the Charter for Black Talent in Finance and the Professions, an initiative aimed at increasing the number of talented Black professionals in senior positions in the financial and professional services sectors in the UK.’

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The Bar Council, 30th April 2021

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Bar promises tougher sanctions on sexual misconduct – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The bar tribunal service has proposed significantly tougher sanctions for barristers who commit sexual misconduct, after facing criticism for being too lenient.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 29th April 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

DPP: CPS ‘briefing principles’ to aid under-represented advocates – Legal Futures

Posted April 27th, 2021 in barristers, Crown Prosecution Service, diversity, equality, news, women by sally

‘New “briefing principles” will ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) delivers equality of opportunity among the advocates it instructs, the Director of Public Prosecutions has pledged.’

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Legal Futures, 27th April 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Judge rejects recusal application after barristers withdraw – Legal Futures

Posted April 21st, 2021 in barristers, bias, case management, complaints, judges, news, recusal by sally

‘A judge has rejected a recusal application on the grounds of apparent bias made after two barristers withdrew at the last minute from a hearing and complained about his conduct of the case.’

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Legal Futures, 21st April 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Female juniors head towards equality before top court – Litigation Futures

Posted April 16th, 2021 in barristers, diversity, equality, gender, news, statistics, Supreme Court, women by sally

‘The ratio of women to men appearing before the Supreme Court has improved hugely in recent years at junior levels, although less so at senior levels, a comprehensive survey has shown.’

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Litigation Futures, 15th April 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

‘Census’ for barristers due to launch to help shape profession’s priorities – The Bar Council

Posted April 12th, 2021 in barristers, consultations, news by sally

‘Barristers in England and Wales will be invited to play their part in shaping the way their representative body, the Bar Council, supports the profession’s needs by completing a survey about their working lives.’

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The Bar Council, 8th April 2021

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

QC’s opinion “crudely altered” to mislead third party, court finds – Legal Futures

‘A QC’s opinion was dishonestly altered to reassure a third party charged with marketing an investment scheme that eventually collapsed, the High Court has found.’

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Legal Futures, 7th April 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Negative perceptions of Bar “still a barrier to social mobility” – Legal Futures

Posted April 7th, 2021 in barristers, diversity, news by sally

‘A shortage of money and negative perceptions can still be deterrents to working class barristers entering the profession, an event on diversity in the legal profession was told last week.’

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Legal Futures, 7th April 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Senior judge criticises counsel for withdrawing from case without explanation – Legal Futures

Posted April 6th, 2021 in adjournment, barristers, conflict of interest, judges, news, recusal by sally

‘A supervising judge has criticised counsel who withdrew on the eve of an important consequentials hearing for not specifying the concerns they had raised about the conduct of the trial judge.’

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Legal Futures, 6th April 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Chambers criticised for giving pupils silent treatment – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 1st, 2021 in barristers, news, notification, pupillage, recruitment by sally

‘Chambers that fail to respond to unsuccessful applicants for pupillage – the great majority – have been urged to mend their ways, after a student claimed the practice “damages the integrity of the profession.”’

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Law Society's Gazette, 31st March 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Home Office ‘presenting opinion as fact’ on immigration issues, lawyers warn – The Independent

‘Prominent barristers have accused the Home Office of misleading the public on immigration issues in the UK in breach of the civil service code and equating “child rapists” with “failed asylum seekers”.’

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The Independent, 29th March 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bar Council steps in over inconsistent harassment sanctions regime – The Bar Council

Posted March 29th, 2021 in barristers, disciplinary procedures, harassment, news by sally

‘The Bar Council has written to both the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and the Bar Tribunal and Adjudication Service (BTAS) about concerns over the handling of harassment cases.’

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The Bar Council, 26th March 2021

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

CA slates barristers whose failures led it to wrongly quash conviction – Legal Futures

‘The Court of Appeal has strongly criticised barristers for not realising that the transcript of a trial was incorrect because they had not paid attention to the judge’s summing-up at the time.’

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Legal Futures, 24th March 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Male barrister suspended for lewd comments aimed at female mini-pupil – Legal Futures

‘An experienced barrister who made crude sexual comments to a woman on a mini-pupillage has been suspended for six months and told not to take on pupils or mini-pupils in future.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court: No duty on barrister not to cause instructing solicitor loss – Legal Futures

Posted March 23rd, 2021 in barristers, fees, negligence, news, set-off, solicitors by sally

‘A barrister was not liable to her instructing solicitors for the fees they claimed they lost out on as a result of her alleged negligence, the High Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd March 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk