Last 3 months headlines – Page 1100
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Court interpreters reject new contract deal
Courts are being disrupted on a ‘daily basis’ as interpreters continue to boycott the private sector contract for translation services, despite a peace move by the Ministry of Justice, an interpreters group claimed this week. The ministry last month revealed that it would foot ...
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European data plan labelled ‘demented’
European Commission data protection plans are the biggest threat currently facing the UK economy, a senior Downing Street figure said this week. Rohan Silva, the senior policy adviser behind the government’s Tech City initiative, described the draft European data protection plan as ‘a completely demented ...
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Grayling asks for quality standard for PCT firms
The justice secretary has asked the Law Society and Bar Council to develop a quality standard for firms bidding for criminal legal aid contracts under controversial plans for price-competitive tendering (PCT). In an exclusive interview with the Gazette, Chris Grayling said: ‘I have invited both the ...
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NewsRoundtable: immigration
Former home secretary John Reid described the immigration system as 'not fit for purpose'. Judging by the way cases are dealt with, it plainly still is not
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Saudi Arabia accepts registration of female lawyer
Arwa Al-Hujaili has become Saudi Arabia’s first female lawyer – but only after spending three years post-graduation petitioning the kingdom’s Ministry of Justice to register her as a trainee. However, Al-Hujaili’s problems may have only just begun: any Saudi judge who disapproves of women speaking in ...
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Regulating will-writing is simple common sense
The Gazette has been known to raise an eyebrow at the laissez-faire proselytising of the Legal Services Board – that’s not what it is (or ought to be) there for. But this week the super-regulator has been effortlessly outflanked by justice secretary Chris Grayling (pictured), seemingly in defiance of all ...
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Price-competitive tendering risks demolishing the supplier base
by Desmond Hudson, chief executive of the Law Society Whether driven by political dogma or economic necessity, it is clear that the Ministry of Justice will have to find savings in criminal legal aid.
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Don’t worry about Jackson fallout – judge
The High Court judge responsible for implementing the Jackson civil litigation reforms has made two speeches seeking to allay lawyers’ fears about the reforms’ impact. Speaking to the Commercial Litigation Association annual conference, Mr Justice Ramsey urged more ‘hot-tubbing’ of expert witnesses to improve the ...
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Dealing with corruption in the UK
This week, the Council of the International Bar Association (IBA) will consider Anti-Corruption Guidelines for Bar Associations. I remember when this was discussed in one of the IBA policy groups of which I am a member. The representatives from bars in the west (and from at least one other developed ...
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North-west paralegal initiative
A group of law firms has come together to create a paralegal apprenticeship, as financial pressures on the sector start to take effect. Nine firms based in the north-west have formed the Legal Sector Employer Skills Group to take on 100 paralegals, who start their apprenticeships ...
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French revolution
Group actions could become possible under French law for the first time, under a plan presented to the government this month. Benoît Hamon (pictured), finance minister responsible for consumer affairs, said the proposal would rebalance power to the benefit of citizens. However, actions will be ...
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London Legal Walk 2013 - gallery
The ninth London Legal Walk was the greatest ever – more than 7,000 walkers (and runners) raised over £500,000 for the London Legal Support Trust. The attorney general, gamely wearing a T-shirt advertising the fact, promised the walkers that he would take back to his cabinet ...
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7,000 lawyers to hit the streets for free legal advice
The lord chief justice, the president of the Supreme Court, the master of the rolls, the attorney general and the director of public prosecutions will be leading some 7,000 legal professionals in the largest organised gathering of lawyers in the UK. The ninth London Legal ...
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Pannone turns to fixed-price mediation post-Jackson
Four out of five commercial disputes are capable of being resolved through fixed-priced mediation, according to a firm unveiling a two-tier service today. Manchester firm Pannone says it has responded to the Jackson reforms and the possibility of compulsory mediation with a service that settles ...
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Mass meeting of barristers takes a stand on QASA
The largest of the six bar circuits has voted to boycott the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) – which the circuit leader vowed ‘will be defeated’. At a ‘unique’ meeting attended by some 400 barristers in London on Saturday, Sarah Forshaw QC, leader of the ...
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Overwhelming public backing for legal aid: poll
Government claims that the legal aid system has lost credibility with the public are rebutted by a survey published today showing that seven out of 10 adults fear that criminal legal aid cuts could lead to innocent people being convicted of crimes they did not commit.
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Statutory wills
In a very helpful judgment, Behrens J reviewed the recent decisions on statutory wills and produced a summary of how to make a decision that is in P's best interests, in the context of a statutory will. The statutory provisions The law ...
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Fight PI changes, says MASS chair
A figurehead for the claimant personal injury sector has urged solicitors not to give up opposing further changes to the system. Craig Budsworth, chairman of the Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS), told today’s Manchester Law Society conference that the fight against increases to the small-claims limit ...