All articles by Catherine Baksi – Page 84
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News
90% ‘would recommend their solicitor to a friend’
Nine out of 10 people would recommend their solicitor to a friend, according to independent research commissioned by the Law Society. Of 1,011 people questioned by research agency GfK NOP, 505 said they had a solicitor to whom they would go for advice on a legal ...
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CPS lawyer pleads guilty to bribe charge
A Crown Prosecution Service lawyer has admitted taking a share of a £20,000 bribe to drop a case. Sarfraz Ibrahim, a barrister who was the head of the advocacy unit at Gwent CPS, yesterday (Monday) admitted corruption, perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public ...
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‘Collapse of representation’ fears over LSC’s mental health tender
The ‘extraordinary’ results of the Legal Services Commission’s mental health tender have left established firms facing bankruptcy and could trigger the ‘collapse of representation’, solicitors have warned. The tender outcomes, which were published to providers last week, have resulted in many experienced providers being given less ...
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Smaller firms to collaborate in north-west
An innovative project to help smaller law firms work together to become more competitive has been launched in the north-west. The initiative could involve around 10 Greater Manchester firms setting up a single management company to manage shared support services to help them prosper in the post-Legal Services Act environment. ...
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‘Data corruption’ blamed for duty solicitor rota errors
The Legal Services Commission has blamed ‘data corruption issues’ for errors in the duty solicitor rotas published last week. Following publication of the new rotas for the six-month slots running from July to December, firms across the country found themselves on rotas in the wrong areas, or missed off the ...
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European Parliament backs equal treatment for suspects
The European Parliament has backed proposals that will, for the first time, set common standards to secure rights for suspects in criminal proceedings. It voted last week to approve plans from the European Commission to ensure translation and interpretation rights. The ...
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Government wields axe over court estate
The Ministry of Justice today outlined proposals to shut nearly a third of the courts in England and Wales and confirmed it will be looking at ways to make ‘efficiency’ savings in the legal aid budget. A consultation document details plans for the closure of 157 ...
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Legal aid payment regime blamed for RMJ collapse
The Law Society has hit back at government claims that inefficiencies at legal advice charity Refugee and Migrant Justice (RMJ) led to its collapse – while third sector groups have warned that all legal aid suppliers are facing funding difficulties. The charity, which was one of ...
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New international hub to promote pro bono work
A new online service to promote pro bono legal work around the world and provide an international hub for information on anti-corruption and good governance was launched today by the Thomson Reuters Foundation TrustLaw provides: an online database of national legislation; international conventions; news; country profiles; ...
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Solicitors ‘should enter into partnership with estate agents’
The future for the conveyancing market in England and Wales lies in partnerships between solicitors and estate agents to provide a one-stop shop for sellers, the new president of the E-Homebuying Forum has told the Gazette. Sir Bryan Carsberg, who is also a former director of ...
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Chancery Lane hails costs cap coup
Controversial rules to cap the costs recovered by acquitted defendants were struck down as ‘unlawful’ by the High Court in a victory for the Law Society this week. The regulations, which are now invalid, were introduced in October 2009 and sought to ensure that acquitted defendants ...
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Warning over CPS recruitment freeze and budget cut
A recruitment freeze at the Crown Prosecution Service and its latest budget cut will increase the burden on defence solicitors and the criminal justice system, lawyers warned this week. The Attorney General’s Office has said that the CPS must contribute an additional £16m of savings. This ...
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BSB chair: 'merge solicitors' and barristers' training courses'
The chair of the bar’s regulator has called for a radical overhaul of legal professional education by merging the solicitors’ and barristers’ courses, to give young people longer to decide which branch of the profession they want to join. Bar Standards Board chair Lady Deech ...
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Law firms and investors showing 'little appetite' for external funding
Lifting restrictions on external investment in law firms will not lead to a ‘big bang’ for the legal profession, ‘just a big whimper’, a leading private equity investor has predicted. His comments came as the Ministry of Justice confirmed that the new government is ‘fully ...
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Fresh legal aid cuts not ruled out by MoJ
The new legal aid minister refused to rule out more legal aid cuts in his first press interview last week. Jonathan Djanogly (pictured) also said no decision had been made on whether the coalition would proceed with the Labour government’s plans to consolidate the criminal defence ...
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News
Are some cases beyond the pale when it comes to legal aid?
After Roy Whiting’s sentence for the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne was reduced by the Court of Appeal, her mother criticised the availability of legal aid to fund the action and solicitors who advise prisoners to fight such cases.
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Banks' reluctance to grant loans impedes student access to LPC
Access to the profession is being restricted because banks are increasingly unwilling to provide loans to Legal Practice Course students, the Junior Lawyers Division has warned. JLD chair Heidi Sandy said LPC students across the country have reported that they are finding it more difficult ...
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News
Joint pro bono clearing house to launch
A National Pro Bono Centre is to open this summer to act as a ‘hub’ for pro bono charities. The NPBC, which has been registered as a new legal charity, will bring together in one building LawWorks, the Bar Pro Bono Unit and the ILEX Pro ...
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Mayer Brown picks up pro bono gong
US firm Mayer Brown International was recognised for its work with pro bono group LawWorks at the charity’s annual awards ceremony last night. The firm won the award for the best contribution by a law firm, for supporting numerous projects including providing pro bono assistance through ...
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Bar must step up competition with solicitors, chairman warns
The bar must embrace direct access to the public to compete in a system that has been ‘calibrated and designed to hand the entire legal aid pot to solicitors’, the Bar Council chairman said last week. Speaking at a symposium last week to discuss the paper ...