Last 3 months headlines – Page 1225
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News
SRA denies 2,000 firms in crisis talks
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has denied it has ‘serious concerns’ about the financial stability of 2,000 firms, as new figures show the number of firms declining to the lowest level since it began collecting data. Chris Smyth, former head of legal services for bank Cheltenham ...
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PM ‘mad’ to cut legal aid for EU immigrants
Solicitors have condemned David Cameron’s proposal to deprive EU immigrants of access to legal aid. The prime minister told parliament last week: ‘There are many parts of our current arrangements that don’t pass a simple commonsense test in terms of access to housing, access to the ...
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Wales to decide on legal jurisdiction
Wales first minister Carwyn Jones (pictured) is today set to reveal whether he backs a separate legal jurisdiction for the country. His long-awaited response to last year’s consultation is expected to recommend a separation of powers. A move towards a Welsh jurisdiction has been widely predicted ...
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News
Volunteers ‘unable to fill legal aid void’
Volunteers will not be able to fill the gap in advice and representation left by April’s legal aid cuts, the chief executive of one of the largest pro bono organisations has warned parliament. With less than 50 days to go until the Legal Aid, Sentencing and ...
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MoJ considers ending lump sum PI damages
Ministers are to consider the case for successful personal injury claimants to receive damages over a period of time rather than in one lump sum. The Ministry of Justice revealed last week that it is considering a change to the current payments regime – as well ...
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NewsRoundtable: conveyancing
While the residential conveyancing market is showing tentative signs of recovery, leading practitioners are focusing on raising standards in a volatile environment
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News
MPs: family judges should talk to children
Specialist family judges should talk to children whose care cases they deal with, according to an all-party group of MPs. In a report last week, the Child Protection All Party Parliamentary Group warned that government reforms to the family justice system set out in the ...
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News
‘Press LSB’ without MPs’ approval is unattractive
The government’s attempts to reform press regulation have something of the surreal about them. A draft royal charter, full of suitably medieval language, was published by the Conservatives last week - apparently, because they did not want to put a bill before parliament. But, despite that, they published draft legislation ...
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News
Tax warning over children’s wills
Thousands of parents may need to rewrite their wills to protect their children’s interests because of inheritance law changes introduced in the Finance Bill, the Law Society has warned. The Society’s tax law committee has written to HMRC to voice concerns over what it says are ...
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News
Plantagenet poltergeist?
Spooky tales from Leicester firm Denham Foxon & Watchorn. Its offices are famous for strange sightings and mysterious noises, and on wintry evenings solicitor Christl Hughes says her waste paper basket has been known to move of its own accord. Mice? Possibly. But Obiter is intrigued by another suggestion. ...
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Criminal law
Perverting course of justice – Third party being subject to restraint order R v Kenny: Court of Appeal, Criminal Division: 30 January 2013 The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division ...
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Legal confusion outer Mongolia
Grumbling at the chore of CPD? Spare a thought for our colleagues in the Gobi desert. In the footsteps of, if not Marco Polo, then at least Clyde & Co, Obiter popped along to a breakfast seminar organised by the Law Society’s international division on new markets in Mongolia. ...
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News
Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoI) does not just require public authorities to disclose information they hold but also information that is held on their behalf (section 3(2)). Local authorities are increasingly outsourcing management of services to the private sector. Such arrangements are often scrutinised by interested parties making ...
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News
Employment
'Worker' – Part-time workers O'Brien v Ministry of Justice (Council of Immigration Judges intervening): Supreme Court: 6 February 2013 The Supreme Court held that the claimant, a retired part-time recorder, ...
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News
Ministers tight-lipped on EU opt-out
The home secretary and lord chancellor were tight-lipped this week on details of the government’s plan to opt out of more than 130 EU crime and justice measures. In evidence to a Lords committee, Theresa May said the government had indicated its ‘direction of travel’, signalling its intention to exercise ...
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News
Two law firms on Cameron’s Indian mission
National firm DLA Piper and southern England firm Dutton Gregory have joined David Cameron’s business delegation to India. They are among 100 businesses on the delegation, which aims to present the UK as the ‘global partner of choice’. One of the key messages the prime ...
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News
Wales says no to separation – for now
Wales will not have a separate legal jurisdiction for at least a decade, the country’s first minister confirmed today. Carwyn Jones (pictured) said the estimated £1.2bn cost of devolving the entire criminal justice system would put too much pressure on the Welsh budget. ...