Last 3 months headlines – Page 1215
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Indemnity cover saved
Your correspondent of 24 May omitted to mention that by ‘giving the practice away’, at least the professional indemnity runoff cover (two and a half times the last premium) was saved. Further, although the goodwill of the fish and chip shop was £120,000, it would have ...
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Nominations open for Law Society Excellence Awards
The Gazette has opened nominations for its Legal Personality of the Year accolade, one of a suite of Law Society Excellence Awards designed to recognise the profession’s most outstanding and dynamic practitioners. This is the sixth year of the Society’s Excellence awards, which include: Solicitor ...
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‘Hundreds’ of miscarriage of justice claims over legal advice failings
Hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees convicted of immigration-related offences such as failure to produce a passport may have been the victims of miscarriages of justice, the Gazette can reveal.
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Modern profession
I have just read Susan Singleton’s response to my earlier letter about the trainee minimum wage. Her letter is indicative of the current state of mind of the profession.
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SIFA warns against liberalisation of referrals process
Solicitors referring clients for financial advice will be exposed to indemnity claims if the process is liberalised, the profession has been warned. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is considering relaxing rules which dictate that lawyers can refer clients only to independent financial advisers, as opposed to advisers ...
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Debt fear factor
I am surprised that the Solicitors Regulation Authority thinks that removal of the minimum salary will improve opportunities for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
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Shropshire Council sets up legal company
A local authority is to incorporate its own trading company to supply legal and other support services. Shropshire Council last week endorsed a plan for setting up the new company, to be known as ip&e group Limited, standing for ‘Inspiring Partnerships and Enterprise’. ...
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Top GP backs government plans to check whiplash claims
A leading GP has backed government plans to cut the cost of whiplash claims by requiring claimants to see specialists. Dr Peter Swinyard, chairman of the Family Doctors Association, told the Gazette there had been a marked increase in patients complaining of stiff necks following car ...
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Equal opportunities
It is essential that the issue of elitism is tackled head on, but there is no simple solution (‘Top firms told to stop cherry-picking from Oxbridge’). The National Admissions Test for Law was established eight years ago to ‘level the educational playing field’ and tests a ...
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Chancery Lane warns of ‘anomalies’ in referral fee ban
The Law Society has warned of a ‘danger of anomalies’ in the government’s plan for banning referral fees. The Ministry of Justice is finalising the specifics of the ban, which will apply only to personal injury cases. Payment and receipt of the fees will be prohibited ...
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Combating forced marriages requires more than robust legal measures
by Talvinder Penaser, solicitor at Leeds Family Law The legislation on tackling forced marriage provides civil remedies for a breach of a forced marriage protection order (FMPOs).
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News focus: College of Law chief explains post-buyout plans
The College of Law (CoL) is set to expand in the UK and overseas with ‘brand and values intact’ following its £200m sale to a private equity firm, chief executive Nigel Savage has told the Gazette. Savage condemned the current wide-ranging review of legal education and ...
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The 'bishops versus the lawyers'?
The schismatic nature of the debate on same-sex marriage is redolent of pre-modern times. Indeed, the Telegraph went as far back as Henry Vlll, asking readers (somewhat melodramatically): ‘is gay marriage the greatest threat to the established role of the Church of England since the Reformation?’
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Conditional donations soar to SBA
Conditional donations from unclaimed client funds to The SBA The Solicitors’ Charity increased by nearly 70% in 2011 to more than £1.1m compared with £650,000 in 2010, according to its annual report published yesterday.
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CCRC concern over advice given to refugees
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is concerned that potentially hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees have been wrongly convicted after being advised to plead guilty to offences relating to their entry to the UK.
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Could 8 Out of 10 Cats help market your firm?
I quite like watching the TV comedy show 8 Out of 10 Cats. Not just because of its entertainment value but because of what it highlights about marketing – yes, even the marketing of law firms. In case anyone doesn’t know, 8 Out of 10 Cats ...
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Women ‘out-perform men in judicial appointments’
Women made up around half the judicial appointments during a six-month period, despite forming as little as a fifth of the candidate pool. The sixth set of official statistics published today by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) shows women starting to outperform men. Based on 13 ...
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Shared parenting presumption in law reform proposal
The government seeks to introduce a legal presumption of ‘shared parenting’ where relationships break down, under proposals outlined today. The plans to strengthen the law so children have an ongoing relationship with both parents if they separate are set out in the Ministry of Justice consulation. ...
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Private equity firm takes stake in ABS
Former Dragon’s Den investor James Caan (pictured) has announced that his private equity company is to invest in a regional commercial firm. Caan’s company Hamilton Bradshaw will invest an undisclosed sum in Staffordshire-based Knights as it applies to become an alternative business structure. ...
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SRA powerless to stop ABSs circumventing referral ban
Regulators have warned they will be powerless to prevent the establishment of companies that would get around the ban on referral fees. Alternative business structures encompassing both law firms and claims management companies may not fall within the scope of any ban, the Solicitors Regulation Authority ...