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

Posted March 12th, 2013 in barristers, fees, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

“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

Legal Services Board draft business plan response – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 11th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, Legal Services Board, news, solicitors by sally

“The Bar Standards Board today responded to the draft Legal Services Board business plan 2013-14.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 8th March 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

New Contractual Terms: Joint statement by the Chairman of the Bar and the President of the Law Society – The Bar Council

Posted March 8th, 2013 in barristers, contracts, press releases, solicitors by tracey

” The Chairman of the Bar and the President of the Law Society have released a joint statement on the new Contractual Terms.”

Full press release

The Bar Council. 7th March 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Bar calls on the LSB to tighten its belt – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 5th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, Legal Services Board, news by sally

“The Bar Council has publicly attacked the Legal Services Board for appearing immune from financial pressures affecting the legal profession and government departments.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 4th March 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bar survey – barristers set leading CSR example – The Bar Council

Posted February 28th, 2013 in barristers, news, pro bono work by sally

“A survey conducted by the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has found nearly half the profession (42.4%), across all practice areas, regularly carry out voluntary legal pro bono work, in addition to paid work. It also found that 36.6% of the Bar regularly volunteer for non-legal charitable organisations.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 27th February 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

‘Risk-Assessed’ supervision consultation launched – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 28th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, news, quality assurance by sally

“Sets of chambers and barristers have the opportunity to influence how they are supervised by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) by taking part in a consultation exercise launched today.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 26th February 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Ban on barristers expressing personal opinions on cases set to end – Legal Futures

Posted February 27th, 2013 in barristers, codes of practice, news, opinions by sally

“Barristers should soon be free to give their personal opinions on cases when the rule restricting them to voicing only clients’ views is finally lifted – four years after the change was first mooted.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 27th February 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Leaked email shows CPS puts cost first, quality second – The Bar Council

Posted February 25th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, along with the Criminal Bar Association and Circuit Leaders have today published evidence that the Crown Prosecution Service (‘CPS’) has adopted deliberate practices not to instruct the correct advocate for a given case if there is a financial interest to the CPS in keeping the work in-house.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 25th February 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Bar Council calls for changes as peers prepare to vote on new CFA and DBA rules – Litigation Futures

Posted February 25th, 2013 in barristers, damages, fees, news, public interest, VAT by sally

“The government needs to deal with range of defects in the new rules for conditional fee agreements (CFAs) and damages-based agreements (DBAs), the Bar Council has urged ahead of a debate on them in the House of Lords tomorrow.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 25th February 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

RSPCA could hire ‘experienced criminal barrister’ to review prosecutions, Attorney General suggests – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 25th, 2013 in animals, barristers, budgets, charities, news, private prosecutions, prosecutions by sally

“Britain’s most senior law officer has told the head of the RSPCA that he could consider hiring an experienced criminal lawyer to review the charity’s controversial prosecution policy.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Diversity Review of Complaints Processes – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 20th, 2013 in barristers, complaints, diversity, minorities, news, professional conduct by sally

“The Bar Standards Board has commissioned an external agency to review its professional conduct complaints processes. The action was taken following an internal report which showed that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) barristers were over represented in the complaints process.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 19th February 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

New ‘risk-based’ approach to supervision approved – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 18th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, disciplinary procedures, news, quality assurance by sally

“The Bar Standards Board has approved a consultation on a new approach to the supervision of chambers and barristers.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 15th February 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Barrister facing jail after £600,000 VAT fraud – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 11th, 2013 in barristers, fraud, news, tax evasion, VAT by sally

“A leading barrister who specialised in fraud cases is facing a substantial prison sentence after being convicted of evading more than £600,000 in tax.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

City solicitors strike deal with commercial Bar over special terms of business – Legal Futures

Posted February 1st, 2013 in barristers, contracts, indemnities, legal services, news, solicitors by tracey

“The City of London Law Society (CLLS) and Commercial Bar Association (Combar) have published model terms of business for barristers instructed in commercial cases after more than two years of negotiation.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 1st February 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Hot 100: James Dingemans QC, 3 Hare Court – The Lawyer

Posted January 31st, 2013 in barristers, diversity, inns of court, news, pupillage by sally

“Inner Temple became a trailblazer on diversity issues at the bar when in March 2012 it launched the Pegasus Access Scheme.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 28th January 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

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

Posted January 31st, 2013 in barristers, contract of employment, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“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

Robert Francis QC: the man behind the NHS Mid Staffs report – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2013 in barristers, health, hospitals, inquiries, news, reports by sally

“If some of the array of senior figures and organisations in the NHS are anxious about what the publication of the Mid Staffordshire scandal report might mean for their reputations, that is understandable. The mammoth public inquiry was chaired by Robert Francis QC, described by solicitors who hire him as ‘formidable’ and ‘forensically exceptional’. A barrister specialising in the NHS and medical negligence, he is highly skilled at getting to the truth and quietly scathing when he feels censure is due.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

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

“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

Judge says £420,000 racism claim can stand, after 13 years of ‘Dickensian’ wrangling – Daily Telegraph

“A race equality campaigner who won £420,000 compensation after a council-funded anti-racism group turned her down for a job has emerged victorious from a “Dickensian” court battle – at the ultimate expense of the public purse.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th January 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Setting the matter straight – The Bar Council

“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