GMC calls for tougher powers to check European doctors’ skills – The Guardian

‘EU rules governing the checks that UK authorities can make on doctors still have major weaknesses seven years after a patient safety scandal revealed catastrophic flaws in the system, according to Britain’s medical regulator.’

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The Guardian, 17th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Pulling rank – New Law Journal

Posted November 16th, 2015 in barristers, news, professional conduct by sally

‘Is the cab rank rule still in operation, asks Jon Robins.’

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New Law Journal, 13th November 2015

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Indian lawyer disbarred from Inner Temple a century ago is reinstated – The Guardian

Posted November 12th, 2015 in barristers, disqualification, inns of court, news, professional conduct by sally

‘More than a century after being disbarred for advocating independence for India, the nationalist leader and barrister Shyamji Krishna Varma has been posthumously reinstated by London’s Honourable Society of the Inner Temple.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Barristers “under pressure” to agree not to act against big clients if they want their work – Legal Futures

‘Barristers need to resist pressure from big clients and government departments to agree not to act against them in the future if they want instructions, the Bar Council has said.’

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Legal Futures, 11th November 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Jose Mourinho: Chelsea boss loses appeal against FA charge – BBC News

Posted November 6th, 2015 in appeals, disciplinary procedures, news, professional conduct, sport by sally

‘Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has had his appeal against a £50,000 fine and a suspended one-game stadium ban dismissed by the Football Association.’

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BBC News, 5th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Professional Negligence: Let the Client Decide what matters – 36 Bedford Row Property Blog

‘The High Court has given a reminder of the important qualification to the general principle that a lawyer, or licensed conveyancer, is not obliged to undertake investigations that are not expressly or impliedly requested by the client. The principle is subject to the qualification that: if in fact a solicitor acquires information that may be of importance to a client; then it is the duty of the solicitor to bring that information to the attention of the client. It is the client who decides whether the information is important; the lawyer should not presume to make that decision. Failing to consider information, to advise the client or even pass on such information to the client can be costly. It is safer to communicate too much rather than too little.’

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36 Bedford Row Property Blog, 27th October 2015

Source: www.36property.co.uk

Lawyers express concern over ministerial code rewrite – The Guardian

‘Conservative ministers have been accused of quietly abandoning the longstanding principle that members of the government should be bound by international law.’

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The Guardian, 22nd October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Users who post ‘fake’ Amazon reviews could end up in court – Daily Telegraph

‘Online retail giant files papers in the United States against more than 1,000 people, claiming that its brand reputation is being tarnished by ‘false, misleading and inauthentic’ reviews.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th October 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Solicitor expelled from profession for lying about ‘progress’ of cases that had actually been struck out – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor who deceived his firm and his clients for 13 months into thinking that he was pursuing their group employment tribunal (ET) claims, when in fact they had been struck out because of his inactivity, has been removed from the profession.’

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Legal Futures, 14th October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Putting the cab into the cab-rank rule: BSB fines barrister over taxi firm conviction – Legal Futures

Posted October 7th, 2015 in barristers, company directors, fines, licensing, news, professional conduct, taxis by sally

‘A barrister convicted by a magistrates’ court of failing to get licenses for his taxi firm has been fined £600 by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).’

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Legal Futures, 7th October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA asks public for help in how it should judge solicitors’ behaviour – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) yesterday launched a massive public opinion poll to help it determine the correct baseline of solicitors’ behaviour on which it should base regulatory decisions.’
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Legal Futures, 1st October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Jayden Parkinson: Police employee cleared of misconduct – BBC News

Posted September 30th, 2015 in murder, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct by sally

‘A Thames Valley Police employee has “no case to answer” for misconduct over the investigation into the disappearance of Jayden Parkinson, watchdogs said.’

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BBC News, 30th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Magistrate quits after being suspended for paying a penniless asylum seeker’s fine out of his own pocket – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 29th, 2015 in fines, judges, magistrates, news, professional conduct by sally

‘Nigel Allcoat said he had performed a humanitarian act in order to prevent reoffending and that his treatment ‘beggared belief’.’

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Daily Telegraph, 29th September 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judge withdraws from BA case after airline loses his luggage – The Guardian

Posted September 22nd, 2015 in airlines, judges, news, professional conduct, recusal, trials by sally

‘A judiciary watchdog is investigating a high court judge who complained about his luggage going astray on a flight booked with British Airways while he was overseeing a case involving the airline.’

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The Guardian, 21st September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge who fell asleep in rape trial guilty of ‘serious misconduct’ but keeps job – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 22nd, 2015 in complaints, judges, news, professional conduct, trials by sally

‘Barristers confronted Recorder Cattan with their suspicion that he had fallen asleep while an under-age victim was being cross-examined.’
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Daily Telegraph, 21st September 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Headmaster who supervised school trip to Brazil where student was murdered is allowed to continue teaching – Daily Telegraph

‘A headmaster who supervised a school trip to Brazil where a pupil was murdered after a drunken night out has been found guilty of professional misconduct but has not been banned from teaching.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th September 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Barrister loses appeal against disbarment for misconduct over illness claim – Legal Futures

‘The Visitors of the Inns of Court have thrown out appeals by a barrister against three disciplinary tribunal rulings, including one which disbarred him for seeking an adjournment of his case on grounds of ill-health, although he was found acting in a trial just days later.’

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Legal Futures, 15th September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Teachers struck off after being caught having sex in school – The Guardian

Posted September 10th, 2015 in disciplinary procedures, disqualification, news, professional conduct, teachers by sally

‘Two teachers who had sex in a school have been banned from teaching.’

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The Guardian, 9th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Georgia Williams murder: Family welcomes misconduct hearing – BBC News

Posted September 1st, 2015 in complaints, murder, news, police, professional conduct by sally

‘The parents of a murdered teenager have welcomed a decision to make a senior police officer face a misconduct panel.’

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BBC News, 29th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BSB seeks power to fine barristers cleared by disciplinary tribunals – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is seeking the power to impose fines of up to £1,000 on barristers cleared by disciplinary tribunals, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 21st August 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk