British agents ‘facilitated the murder’ of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane during the Troubles – The Independent

Posted December 12th, 2012 in armed forces, murder, news, Northern Ireland, reports, solicitors, terrorism by sally

“Prime Minister David Cameron said today he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the extent of state collusion in the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane in 1989 following the publication of an independent review.”

Full story

The Independent, 12th December 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Related link: Pat Finucane Report

Phillips & Co (a firm) v Bath Housing Co-operative Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted December 12th, 2012 in civil justice, costs, law reports, legal profession, limitations, solicitors by sally

Phillips & Co (a firm) v Bath Housing Co-operative Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 1591; [2012] WLR (D) 372

“A solicitors’ claim for costs, billed but not yet fixed by assessment or agreement, fell within the phrase ‘debt or other liquidated pecuniary claim’ in section 29(5)(a) of the Limitation Act 1980.”

WLR Daily, 11th December 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Legal training system not broken – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 13th, 2012 in legal education, news, reports, solicitors by sally

“The City of London Law Society has criticised what it calls ‘misconceived’ assumptions underpinning the landmark review of legal training.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 13th November 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Leniency for legal whistleblowers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 1st, 2012 in consultations, news, penalties, professional conduct, solicitors, whistleblowers by sally

“Whistleblowers involved in misconduct will face more lenient penalties under proposals being considered by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 31st October 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Aftermath of panel reviews – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 1st, 2012 in banking, conveyancing, mortgages, news, solicitors by sally

“It is said that there are more questions on the application form to be a member of a lender’s conveyancing panel than there are to join MI5. Whether or not that is true, it is clear that if you want to do a good job for your homebuying clients, and act for lenders as well as your clients in any conveyancing transaction, chances are you will have to go through onerous vetting procedures now required by banks and building societies to be on their panels of approved solicitors.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st November 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

UK Tour Lawcast #1: Andrew Hopper QC on the regulation of solicitors by the SRA – Charon QC

“Today I talk with Andrew Hopper QC about the regulatory framework for solicitors, the Code of Practice, the strengths and shortcomings of the Solicitors regulation Authority and the need for legal education to be improved with good training for prospective lawyers in ethics – the morals and not simply the rules.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 31st October 2012

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

SRA wins appeal for dishonesty strike-off – Law Society’s Gazette

“The Solicitors Regulation Authority has successfully appealed to the High Court to have a lawyer struck off the roll for dishonesty, overturning an ‘unduly lenient’ Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal verdict.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 16th October 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Survey tells tale of bullying, harassment and discrimination – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 16th, 2012 in bullying, harassment, news, solicitors by sally

“One in six solicitors has been bullied in the workplace, according to research by the Law Society. Preliminary findings of the Society’s 2012 omnibus survey of the profession reveal that 17% of solicitors say they have been bullied at work.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 15th October 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Future of law: big brands and alternative business structures – The Guardian

Posted October 15th, 2012 in alternative business structures, barristers, legal services, news, solicitors by sally

“Household names such as AA, Saga, Direct Line and BT hoping to join Co-op in the legal sector.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New Standard Contractual Terms to take effect in January 2013 – Bar Standards Board

Posted October 10th, 2012 in barristers, contracts, legal services, news, professional conduct, solicitors by sally

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB), the regulatory body for barristers in England and Wales, has agreed that the new Standard Contractual Terms will now take effect on 31 January 2013.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 9th October 2012

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Standard bar contracts put back by three months – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 10th, 2012 in barristers, contracts, legal services, news, professional conduct, solicitors by sally

“The introduction of standard contractual terms between barristers and solicitors has been delayed by three months to make sure all firms and chambers are prepared, the Bar Standards Board announced today.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 9th October 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Can sole practitioners survive in the new legal marketplace? – The Guardian

“Sole practitioners have been having a hard time in the wake of the Legal Services Act 2007, which opened the door for alternative business structures (ABSs). These new forms of legal practice have given household names like the Co-op and the AA the opportunity to expand their legal offerings to consumers and have allowed law firms to be managed and owned by non-lawyers.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Value proposition – The Lawyer

Posted October 8th, 2012 in barristers, contracts, fees, news, solicitors by sally

“The bar is struggling with the concept of solicitor contracts despite almost a decade of negotiations.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 8th October 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

College of Law launches combined LPC and LLM course – Legal Week

Posted October 3rd, 2012 in international law, legal education, news, solicitors by sally

“The College of Law is to offer a new combined Legal Practice Course (LPC) and Master of Laws (LLM) course from 2013, replacing its existing LPC qualification with an LLM LPC.”

Full story

Legal Week, 3rd October 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Weekend court plans in ‘chaos’ – LegalVoice

“Ministry of Justice (MoJ) plans to pilot Sunday magistrates’ courts have been hit by a technical hitch after prisons said they could not accept new prisoners on that day, writes Elizabeth Davidson. However, its pilot of full-day Saturday courts is still on schedule to begin in the Manchester area this weekend, despite vocal opposition from local criminal lawyers, some of whom claim taking part could leave them vulnerable to expensive employment tribunal claims.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 27th September 2012

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Supreme Court president calls for more partners to serve as part-time judges – Legal Week

Posted September 24th, 2012 in judiciary, news, solicitors by sally

“Outgoing Supreme Court president Lord Phillips has called for leading law firms to encourage more partners to sit as part-time judges, in a bid to increase the number of solicitors in the judiciary.”

Full story

Legal Week, 21st September 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Mortgage fraud solicitor jailed – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 21st, 2012 in fraud, mortgages, news, sentencing, solicitors by sally

“A former criminal defence solicitor has been jailed for two years for her part in a £1.3m mortgage fraud in east London.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 20th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Hillsborough investigation launched by SRA – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 21st, 2012 in complaints, families, news, professional conduct, solicitors, sport by sally

“The role and conduct of solicitors involved in legal proceedings following the 1989 Hillsborough disaster will be investigated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the regulator announced today.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 20th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Criminal bar chief: unity can help resist ‘extinction’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 13th, 2012 in barristers, fees, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“Criminal solicitors and barristers should stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ to oppose further fee cuts or risk ‘virtual extinction’ within five years, the new chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 13th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Media Protection Services Ltd v Crawford and another – WLR Daily

Posted August 24th, 2012 in company directors, copyright, informations, law reports, magistrates, solicitors by sally

Media Protection Services Ltd v Crawford and another [2012] EWHC 2373 (Admin); [2012] WLR (D) 250

“The laying of an information by a director of a private limited company, acting for reward on behalf of a client in the course of its business, constituted acting as a solicitor within the meaning and in breach of section 20 of the Solicitors Act 1974 and carrying on a reserved legal activity, namely the conduct of litigation, contrary to the Legal Services Act 2007, with the result that the proceedings were void.”

WLR Daily, 16th August 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk