Last 3 months headlines – Page 1299
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'Interesting' insight
It’s getting on for two years since the government launched its crackdown on local authority newspapers. Communities secretary Eric Pickles declared war on what he famously described as ‘town hall Pravdas’ wasting taxpayers’ money and time.Lately, however, ministers have stopped beating that drum - hardly surprising when Whitehall departments continue ...
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Competition
European Union - Rules on competition - European Commission finding defendant companies entering into cartel regarding provision of heavy electrical equipment used in power grids National Grid Electricity Transmission Plc v ABB Ltd and other companies: ChD (Mr ...
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Judicial review
Specialist services - Applicant hospital trust providing paediatric and congenital cardiac services - Trust challenging consultation process R (on the application of Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust) v Joint Committee of Primary Care ...
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We must adapt to LASPO
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act received royal assent last week. The consequence of this will be that, in some very important areas such as housing and welfare benefits law, vulnerable members of society will find legal advice and representation in the courts, funded by legal ...
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Justice chief to step down after 11 years
Roger Smith, the director of human rights group Justice, has announced that he is to stand down at the end of October after 11 years in the job. Smith, a solicitor and Gazette columnist, said he intends to do more journalism and work on a book ...
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Regulators agree to share data on ABSs
A cross-profession agreement should ensure that alternative business structures have to deal with only one regulator. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed this week by regulators from the legal, accountancy, financial and property sectors will enable more information to be shared, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) ...
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Singapore move for College of Law
The College of Law (CoL) has formed a strategic collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Legal Education with a view to establishing a permanent presence in the state. The move is expected to be the first of many such projects made possible by the college’s new ownership structure. ...
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The 2012 Finance bill and capital allowances: no time for complacency
The new rules on capital allowances in commercial property are now in effect with the passing of the 2012 Finance bill. These rules will greatly affect commercial property owners, leaseholders and importantly, their lawyers. The central change is the introduction of mandatory pooling of capital ...
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Poor marketing opens the doors for sharks!
Regular blog readers may recall the relative who needed a lasting power of attorney, several months ago and was confused by the way prices were quoted. At the time of her initial enquiry, she also enquired about changing the way their property was held, amending their wills and advice regarding ...
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Barefooted lawyers for human rights
Lawyers campaigning for an international human rights day are to strip off their shoes and socks and go barefooted to their offices and into court. Toes, ankles and soles are to be bared on 12 November, the birthday of Chinese human rights lawyer, Chen Guangcheng. Chen, ...
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Appeal court backs law firm in ‘you’re fired’ retainer row
Solicitors are entitled to suspend work for clients who have not paid their bill in accordance with the contractual term of business agreed, the Court of Appeal has ruled in a key case on retainers. The judgment, in favour of Hampstead, London, firm Cawdery Kaye Fireman ...
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The (nearly) naked truth about unfair dismissal
So what does a lapdancer earning £200,000 a year have in common with a retired litigation partner from the Home Counties? Nice legs, perhaps? Or maybe they were both paid with ‘Heavenly Money’ vouchers that wealthy clients slipped into their garter belts? Nope. The answer is ...
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How much is your practice worth?
As the legal market expands - as all markets do when deregulation is applied - who will be benefiting from this growth? Predictions are that the numbers of solicitors will decline - but, as the legal sector grows, why should this be? Fundamentally, we have too ...
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Insurers propose £150 portal fixed fee as ‘negotiating tactic’
The insurance industry has proposed that fixed fees for low-value claims be set as low as £150, the Gazette can reveal. A leaked email, apparently sent to members of the Association of British Insurers by the ABI’s assistant head of motor and liability James Dalton, calls ...
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Solicitors highlight five mySRA failings
Solicitors have pinpointed five key failings of the online practising certificate renewal system. MySRA was used for all PC renewals for the first time this year but suffered a host of technical problems. In a survey of law firms carried out following the renewal deadline, solicitors ...
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LASPO goes on the statute book
The controversial Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act received royal assent today, 11 months after it was introduced to parliament. Part 1 of the act paves the way for cuts to the scope of and eligibility for legal aid; part 2 reforms conditional fee agreements. Both come into ...
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From the wild frontiers, where IT meets law
Here are some reports from the expanding frontier of legal practice. As is often the case with technology, they come from the USA.
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Clarke to announce whiplash curbs
The government will this week set out tougher measures in a bid to cut the number of whiplash claims. Justice secretary Kenneth Clarke and transport secretary Justine Greening will jointly outline plans to reform the diagnosis procedure. In a statement to be made on Wednesday, the ...
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Regulation of will-writers will affect solicitors too
The solicitors’ profession was punching the air in celebration last week when the Legal Services Board announced its intention to finally bring will-writing into the regulatory fold.