Last 3 months headlines – Page 1280
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Law firms warned on text-generated referral 'spam'
Law firms have been reminded to check the origins of referrals to ensure they were not generated by unwanted text messages, after investigations uncovered widespread anger at such ‘spam’. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said this week it is working with mobile phone networks to study ...
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Employment law reforms are 'unworkable', say lawyers
Proposed employment law reforms are unworkable, according to a survey of employment lawyers. More than three quarters (78%) of lawyers polled by solicitor network Contact Law said reforms announced last month by business secretary Vince Cable would lead to a ‘hire and fire’ culture. Only 8% of respondents were in ...
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It was a dreadful 12 months for legal aid lawyers, with the government impervious to reason on swingeing cuts
It’s impossible to precis the events of 2011 in a manner that is of universal relevance to an ever more polarised legal profession. So much has happened; so much has still to happen. Clearly, it was a dreadful 12 months for legal aid lawyers, with an ideologically driven government impervious ...
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Addressing solicitors’ concerns about the new regulatory regime
by Michael Garson, chair of the Law Society’s Regulatory Affairs Board The past 18 months have seen intense activity, as the Regulatory Affairs Board and Law Society policy teams have responded constructively to the programme of change proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and challenges from ...
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A Christmas carol for solicitors
It was Christmas eve and I had invited the staff to have a festive drink with me. Sadly those who were still left in the office seemed to want to go as soon as possible so I decided not to waste the cooking sherry, and instead had value packets of ...
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Society condemns out-of-court sentencing plan
The Law Society has criticised Nick Herbert’s proposal to give magistrates power to issue summary sentences outside of court, which it says could leave defendants without access to proper advice. Speaking to the Magistrates’ Association last week, the justice minister (pictured) mooted the idea of giving ...
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Why law graduates give up on the law
Louise - and that’s not her real name - is not going to become a solicitor after all. She gave it a good try, the law undergraduate says, but it wasn’t to be. Louise says that when she started her law degree, she really wanted to ...
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Employment tribunal fees could run into thousands
Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly today launched a consultation on introducing fees in employment tribunal cases, with the aim of saving taxpayers £84m. Two charging options are mooted in the consultation paper. In option one, a claimant will pay an initial fee of £150-£250 to begin ...
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Stamp duty land tax and the chancellor's autumn statement
The advice 'never believe everything you read in the papers' was as true as ever recently when it came to what used to be called Fleet Street’s powers of prediction of the contents of the chancellor’s autumn statement. In particular, what the press, in the context of property transactions, still ...
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Government snubs call for further bans on referral fees
The government has rejected a recommendation from a commons committee to extend the ban on referral fees. A ban on receiving or paying fees for personal injury cases features in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders bill. It is set to come into law ...
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Lord Judge clarifies Twitter stance
The lord chief justice today told media and members of the public they can ‘tweet as much as they please’ in court as he clarified the use of text-based communication. Lord Judge said the use of laptops and hand-held devices was an important part of open ...
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OFT probes impact of PI claims on motor insurance premiums
The Office of Fair Trading has launched an inquiry focusing on the effect of personal injury claims on steep rises in motor insurance premiums. Evidence gathered by the OFT and published today suggests that premium costs rose by 12% between 2009 and 2010, with a further 9% increase in the ...
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Number of CQS firms reaches 1,000
The Law Society has awarded Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation to the 1,000th firm to enter the scheme. Less than a year after applications opened, nine-partner Coventry firm Penmans today became the 1,000th accredited CQS firm, bringing the total number of law firm branches with the ...
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EU life goes on regardless – and at a pace
I know bigger issues are being discussed in the EU, particularly in relation to the UK’s place in it. But that doesn’t stop important lawyer-related topics making progress at the same time. This week’s blog is the ultimate seasonal treat – like a plum pudding or Christmas stocking, it is ...
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Lenders urged to set up one-stop shop for panel vetting
Mortgage lenders should create a single body to vet law firm applications for conveyancing panel membership, the head of mortgage fraud at Lloyds Banking Group has said. Paul Collins, who is also manager of the group’s conveyancing panel, said that lenders should develop a unified approach ...
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Will Jackson reforms be placed on hold?
The first day of December brought an early Christmas present for legal aid lawyers as justice secretary Kenneth Clarke announced that he would be delaying the legal aid reforms contained in his Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.
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US funder buys up Firstassist in ‘aggressive push’
US dispute financier Burford Capital is to acquire UK legal expenses insurer Firstassist in a £10.3m deal to create a firm offering both after-the-event (ATE) insurance and litigation funding. Burford is one of the world’s leading financiers of litigation and arbitration and listed on the ...
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LCJ warns of technology threat to justice system
The lord chief justice has today warned of the need to preserve the integrity of the trial and jury system in the face of risks posed by modern technology. In his foreword to the Court of Appeal Criminal Division’s annual review of the Legal Year, Lord ...
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Justice streamlined – but 175 new offences in government’s first year
The Ministry of Justice insists it is making progress in streamlining the criminal justice system despite adding 175 new offences during its first year in office. In total the fledgling government department passed 33 new pieces of legislation in England and Wales in the 12 ...
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Phillips attacks ‘popular narrative’ on human rights
Much of the ‘nonsense on stilts’ surrounding the Human Rights Act (HRA) in this country is generated by politicians and the media, Britain’s equality chief has said. In an article in The Sunday Times, Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, attacks ...