Thousands left homeless by shortage of legal aid lawyers, say charities – The Guardian

‘Thousands of people are being made homeless every year because they cannot find lawyers to help them resist eviction, charities are warning.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tribunal starts hearing competition law action brought against Law Society – Legal Futures

‘The Competition Appeal Tribunal will today begin hearing a training provider’s claim that the Law Society acted anti-competitively by requiring law firms to buy its own training in order to maintain their Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 8th November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Society warns on mandatory child abuse reporting duty – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 25th, 2016 in child abuse, child neglect, consultations, Law Society, local government, news by michael

‘A mandatory duty to report child abuse and neglect would simply lead to high volumes of unsubstantiated reports that fall far below the significant harm threshold, the Law Society has warned.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 21st October 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Profession expresses concern over online courts plan – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 20th, 2016 in barristers, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, internet, Law Society, news by tracey

‘Professional bodies have reacted sceptically to the government’s plans to introduce online courts, raising concerns that defendants could be placed at a disadvantage.’

Full story

Law society’s Gazette, 16th September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Justice advisory council’s future up in the air after reshuffle – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Uncertainty surrounds the future of the advisory council set up by former lord chancellor Michael Gove to examine ways to eliminate waste and abuses in the criminal justice system.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 25th July 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Society lays into SRA over handbook rewrite and risk of creating “two-tier” profession – Legal Futures

Posted July 12th, 2016 in law firms, Law Society, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Law Society has blasted Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) plans to allow solicitors to practise from unregulated businesses, saying they risk creating a two-tier profession and eroding the standing of the profession.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 12th July 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Now proportionality test bites in the Competition Appeal Tribunal – Litigation Futures

‘Proportionality has hit the Competition Appeal Tribunal as it capped a defendant’s recoverable costs at £350,000, compared to its budgeted costs of £637,000.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 24th June 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Judge caps Law Society’s “disproportionate” £640k costs in defending competition claim – Legal Futures

Posted June 24th, 2016 in budgets, conveyancing, costs, Law Society, news, proportionality, quality assurance by tracey

‘The Law Society’s budgeted costs of £637,000 to defend the competition law action brought over its Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) are disproportionate and should be capped at nearly half of that, the president of the Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 24th June 2016

source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal Services Board hits out at Law Society for “misrepresenting” its views on McKenzie Friends – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has accused the Law Society of misrepresenting its views on McKenzie Friends.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 14th June 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

We need full separation from Law Society to police money laundering, SRA tells Treasury – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has opened a second front in its campaign for full separation from the Law Society by appealing to the Treasury to intervene over the issue of money laundering.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 7th June 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

LSB rule change to put spotlight on spending by professional bodies – Legal Futures

Posted June 6th, 2016 in barristers, fees, Law Society, Legal Services Board, news by sally

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced a change in its practising certificate fee (PCF) rules, which will put the spotlight on spending by professional bodies such as the Law Society and Bar Council.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 6th June 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal Services Board makes the case for regulatory independence – Legal Futures

‘The lack of independence between the legal regulators and representative bodies risks undermining the credibility of regulation and allows the likes of the Law Society and Bar Council to delay reforms that would benefit competition, the Legal Services Board (LSB) said yesterday.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 11th May 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Third ‘fast track’ abuse of dominant position claim filed with Competition Appeal Tribunal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 19th, 2016 in appeals, competition, Law Society, news, tribunals by sally

‘A third claim alleging anti-competitive behaviour using a new ‘fast track’ procedure has been filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), showing a “pattern” of such cases beginning to emerge, an expert has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 14th April 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Lawyers line up arguments against Online Court – Legal Futures

Posted March 15th, 2016 in barristers, courts, internet, Law Society, legal profession, news, reports, solicitors by sally

‘Responses to Lord Justice Briggs’ recommendation to create an Online Court (OC) have pitted sceptical solicitors and barristers against others who have given the scheme a more generous reception.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 15th March 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Profession gets to work on Jackson’s vision of a contingent legal aid fund – Litigation Futures

‘The Bar Council, Law Society and Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) have already begun talks on forming a working party that will take forward Lord Justice Jackson’s call for a contingent legal aid fund (CLAF), it has emerged.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th February 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Judge complains of “too many swindlers” after wrongly questioning status of solicitor – Legal Futures

Posted February 8th, 2016 in appeals, bias, internet, judges, landlord & tenant, Law Society, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A judge who wrongly questioned the status of a solicitor after doing his own research on the Law Society’s website, has been criticised by the Court of Appeal.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 5th February 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Speech by Lord Justice Jackson – The Case for a CLAF – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Lord Justice Jackson gave the keynote speech at the Solicitors’ Costs Conference on 2 February 2016.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 4th February 2016

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Court estate consolidation plans based on flawed data – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 12th, 2015 in consultations, courts, delay, Law Society, local government, news, solicitors, statistics by tracey

‘Lawyers and justice campaigners have raised fresh concerns about the government’s court closure programme, alleging that the proposals are based on out-of-date travel times and other dubious data.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 12th October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Society in England calls for ‘radical’ employment tribunal reform – OUT-LAW.com

‘The UK employment tribunal system is in need of “radical” restructuring if it is to work fairly and efficiently for employees, employers and the broader administration of justice, according to the Law Society of England and Wales.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 14th September 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Society: overhaul employment tribunals and scrap fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 8th, 2015 in employment tribunals, fees, Law Society, news by sally

‘Radical changes to the employment tribunal structure are needed to ensure unlawful workplace practices do not go unpunished, the Law Society has said.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 7th September 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk