Category: solicitors

Legal privilege, Articles 6 and 8, and iniquity – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted August 15th, 2014 in assets recovery, banking, disclosure, human rights, news, privacy, privilege, sentencing, solicitors by tracey

‘JSC BTA Bank v. Ablyazov et al 8 August 2014, Popplewell J. What you say to your lawyers is truly confidential; no-one, not even a regulator or prosecutor can see it. This is protected by the right to privacy under Article 8, and the right to a fair trial under Article 6 (which includes the right to access to lawyers). Well, that is the general rule. And this case reminds us that there is an exception to this – when the relationship between client and lawyer is affected by “iniquity”.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th August 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

News International lawyers face tribunal over alleged hacking coverup – The Guardian

Posted August 11th, 2014 in conspiracy, disciplinary procedures, electronic mail, evidence, interception, media, news, perjury, privacy, professional conduct, solicitors, telecommunications by sally

‘Two lawyers working for News International at the height of the phone hacking scandal are being prosecuted by the legal profession’s regulator for allegedly seeking to cover up the scale of criminality at the News of the World.’

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The Guardian, 9th August 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Information Commissioner sounds alarm over lawyers’ handling of personal data – Legal Futures

Posted August 7th, 2014 in barristers, barristers' clerks, data protection, electronic mail, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a warning to solicitors and barristers over the need to keep personal information secure, especially paper files, in the wake of “a number of data breaches” in recent months.’

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Legal Futures, 6th August 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyers must step up data protection measures after series of breaches, says watchdog – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 6th, 2014 in barristers, data protection, documents, news, ombudsmen, privacy, solicitors by sally

‘Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, highlights a series of recent privacy breaches by barristers and solicitors.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th August 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Solicitor was ‘employee’ and not partner, High Court rules – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 4th, 2014 in breach of trust, compensation, contract of employment, damages, employment, employment tribunals, loans, news, solicitors, unfair dismissal by sally

‘A solicitor has won a High Court battle to prove he was an employee and not a partner at a firm subject to legal action.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 1st August 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid cuts: In the new landscape, it’s the lawyers who could now suffer – The Independent

Posted August 4th, 2014 in barristers, budgets, fees, legal aid, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

‘Public access work allows barristers to bypass solicitors to gain clients on fixed fees agreed in advance.’

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The Independent, 3rd August 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal aid cuts have left family courts ‘at breaking point’ – The Guardian

Posted July 30th, 2014 in children, dispute resolution, divorce, family courts, judiciary, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘The family courts system is at breaking point due to delays caused by unrepresented litigants and overstretched judges, according to the body that represents lawyers and professionals in divorce hearings.’

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The Guardian, 29th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Solicitor suspended over boiler-room scam – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 18th, 2014 in advertising, consumer protection, disciplinary procedures, news, professional conduct, solicitors by tracey

‘A solicitor involved in a boiler-room scam to push financial products to clients has been suspended from practice for 18 months.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th July 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Practitioner bodies berate ‘face-saving’ bar deal – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 8th, 2014 in barristers, fees, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, solicitors by tracey

‘The “backroom” deal agreed by the Ministry of Justice to end the VHCC fee dispute with barristers has been sharply criticised for excluding solicitors who are the “backbone” of the system.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 8th July 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Project pits women’s success stories against “negative narrative of diversity debate” – Legal Futures

Posted June 30th, 2014 in barristers, diversity, equality, legal profession, news, solicitors, statistics, women by sally

‘A five-year project to celebrate the achievements of women lawyers has been launched, culminating at the centenary of the Act of Parliament which abolished the bar on their entry into the profession.’

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Legal Futures, 27th June 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 – 4 New Square

Posted June 26th, 2014 in consumer protection, contracts, news, regulations, solicitors by sally

‘With over a decade of fairly fundamental regulatory challenges brought about by the Access to
Justice Act 1999, s.58 Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (Conditional Fee legislation) and more
recently LASPO (Jackson and DBAs), not to mention the overhaul of the Solicitors Code of Conduct to
its present guise of the Handbook in October 2011, one would be forgiven for thinking that the
solicitors profession is already sufficiently regulated without yet more intricate legislation. However,
it seems not. It is now necessary for the profession to get to grips with this latest round of
regulation bestowed upon the profession by Brussels.’

Full story (PDF)

4 New Square, 11th June 2014

Source: www.4newsquare.com

Solicitors Regulation Authority names first non-lawyer chair – Legal Futures

Posted June 25th, 2014 in consumer protection, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘Enid Rowlands, an existing member of the board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), has been named as its first non-lawyer chair.’

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Legal Futures, 24th June 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lord Dyson to rule on whether cheque for court fees should have been put in Christmas post – Litigation Futures

Posted June 12th, 2014 in appeals, case management, courts, fees, news, sanctions, solicitors by sally

‘One of the three Mitchell cases to be heard by the Master of the Rolls next week centres on whether a solicitor should have put a cheque in the post shortly before Christmas to pay for the hearing fee.’

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Litigation Futures, 12th June 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Coll v Floreat Merchant Banking Ltd and others (Eggesbo and others, Part 20 defendants) (Solicitors Regulatory Authority intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted June 11th, 2014 in committals, contempt of court, law reports, solicitors, undertakings by sally

Coll v Floreat Merchant Banking Ltd and others (Eggesbo and others, Part 20 defendants) (Solicitors Regulatory Authority intervening) [2014] EWHC 1741 (QB); [2014] WLR (D) 247

‘Whilst there was no specific test for granting permission to make an application for committal for breach of a solicitor’s undertaking, where there was no reasonable prospect of the applicant proving that the relevant solicitor had breached an undertaking, and there was no other good reason to allow the application to proceed, permission should not be granted.’

WLR Daily, 3rd June 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

“Virtually impossible” for solicitors to claim success fees in cases involving children – Litigation Futures

Posted June 11th, 2014 in appeals, children, conflict of interest, damages, fees, locus standi, news, personal injuries, solicitors by sally

‘The Civil Procedure Rule Committee is to investigate claims that the Jackson reforms have made it “virtually impossible” for solicitors to claim success fees in cases involving children, it has emerged.’

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Litigation Futures, 11th June 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Government accused of ‘stoking tensions’ against human rights lawyer pursuing British soldiers for alleged war crimes – The Independent

Posted June 9th, 2014 in Afghanistan, harassment, human rights, inquiries, intimidation, Iraq, law firms, malicious communications, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Law Society has demanded action from the Home Secretary, Theresa May, over a string of violent threats dating back a decade against the human rights lawyer who brought cases against British soldiers over alleged brutality in Iraq and Afghanistan.’

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The Independent, 6th June 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Civil liability and undertakings – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted June 6th, 2014 in indemnities, insurance, news, professional conduct, solicitors, undertakings by sally

‘Undertakings given by solicitors to third parties are strictly enforced. Generally speaking solicitors would expect their professional indemnity insurers to pick up the claim, but this is not always the case.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 21st May 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Can you really divorce online for £37? – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 4th, 2014 in children, consent orders, costs, dispute resolution, divorce, documents, fees, financial dispute resolution, internet, news, solicitors by sally

‘Filing the papers can be cheap, but to ensure you get the outcome you want you will probably have to spend more.’

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Council wins FOI battle over legal advice for whistle-blowing investigation – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 4th, 2014 in appeals, disclosure, freedom of information, local government, news, privilege, public interest, solicitors, tribunals, whistleblowers by tracey

‘A council has won an appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal over its refusal to meet a freedom of information request for the disclosure of legal advice given to a consultant conducting an investigation on the authority’s behalf.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd June 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Professionals who do legal work for gangsters face prosecution under new offence – The Independent

Posted June 3rd, 2014 in accountants, assets recovery, barristers, confiscation, corruption, crime, news, sentencing, solicitors by sally

‘Crooked accountants, lawyers and other professionals who profit from crime but are beyond the reach of the law will be targeted under measures to be announced in tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech.’

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The Independent, 3rd June 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk