Last 3 months headlines – Page 1304

  • News

    Tap on the shoulder

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    We note with interest the article on judicial appointments, including the list of forthcoming vacancies and the statement by the chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission that his job is to make the process of selecting judges transparent and fair, so that the very best person is appointed to the ...

  • News

    Tap on the shoulder

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    We note with interest the article on judicial appointments, including the list of forthcoming vacancies and the statement by the chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission that his job is to make the process of selecting judges transparent and fair, so that the very best person is appointed to the ...

  • News

    Tap on the shoulder

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    We note with interest the article on judicial appointments, including the list of forthcoming vacancies and the statement by the chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission that his job is to make the process of selecting judges transparent and fair, so that the very best person is appointed to the ...

  • News

    Tap on the shoulder

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    We note with interest the article on judicial appointments, including the list of forthcoming vacancies and the statement by the chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission that his job is to make the process of selecting judges transparent and fair, so that the very best person is appointed to the ...

  • News

    Tap on the shoulder

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    We note with interest the article on judicial appointments, including the list of forthcoming vacancies and the statement by the chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission that his job is to make the process of selecting judges transparent and fair, so that the very best person is appointed to the ...

  • News

    Tap on the shoulder

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    We note with interest the article on judicial appointments, including the list of forthcoming vacancies and the statement by the chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission that his job is to make the process of selecting judges transparent and fair, so that the very best person is appointed to the ...

  • News

    A new type of client

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    I am sure the Legal Ombudsman has lots of statistics to support his recently reported statement: ‘People seem to be largely intimidated and in awe of their lawyers and are uncomfortable about challenging them about their legal expenses, which in some cases have increased for no good reason.’ ...

  • News

    Mansfield takes a stand on tuition fees

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    If elected chancellor of Cambridge University next week, human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield QC (pictured, centre) plans to adopt a vigorously interventionist approach to the role. Mansfield told the Gazette that government policy on admission fees ‘disregards our international [convention] obligations’ as well as ...

  • News

    Advocacy accreditation scheme back on track

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    Plans to introduce the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) are back on track. The Ministry of Justice and Legal Services Commission yesterday confirmed that Crown court advocacy fees for publicly funded criminal cases will not be linked to the level of accreditation gained under the new scheme.

  • News

    Criminal justice system failing mentally ill

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    Some 90% of prisoners in England and Wales suffer from mental health problems and upon release are up to 36 times more likely to kill themselves than the general population, a report has revealed. The report says that opportunities to divert the mentally ill away from ...

  • News

    Number of ARP entrants slumps

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    Some 53 firms entered the assigned risks pool (ARP) after failing to secure professional indemnity insurance in this year’s renewal round, provisional figures have revealed. The figure is well down on the 411 which applied to enter the pool at the same stage in 2010. ...

  • News

    Premier Property Lawyers becomes first firm to register as an ABS

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    Premier Property Lawyers (PPL) has become the first firm to register as an alternative business structure, taking advantage of the new rules that came into force today. The Leicester-based firm provides the conveyancing service for myhomemove and is one of the largest conveyancing firms in the ...

  • News

    Five lessons from Tory Conference

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    Cats and credit cards may have dominated the news agenda, but legal issues were still big talking points behind the scenes. So what did we find out from the Manchester shindig? 1) The Tories are not for turning.

  • News

    The SRA is adamant that ‘outcomes-focused’ does not mean ‘light-touch’

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    ‘Principles-based regulation will sustain the current, rigorous regulatory environment, but with better and more effective outcomes.’ No, that’s not what the SRA says about today’s implementation of outcomes-focused regulation - but what the Financial Services Authority said about its own switch to an ‘outcome-focused’ compliance ...

  • News

    DPAs will provide effective tool for combating corporate crime

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    by Edward Garnier QC MP, solicitor general Prosecuting serious and complex economic crime in the UK is difficult. Investigations and prosecutions are long, expensive and resource-intensive. Too few companies are ever held to account for their crimes.

  • News

    Competition

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    European Union - Cartel offence Lucite International Ltd and another v European Commission: General Court of the European Union (Fourth Chamber) (Judges Forwood, President, Labucka (Rapporteur) and O'Higgins): 15 September 2011 ...

  • News

    Tax

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    European Union - Meaning of taxable person Slaby v Minister Finansow; Kuc and another v Dyrektor Izby Skarbowej w Warszawie: Court of Justice of the European Union (Second Chamber) (Judges Cunha Rodrigues (President of the Chamber), Arabadjiev (Rapporteur), Lohmus, ...

  • News

    Not so grim up north… yet

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    As legal aid lawyers in England and Wales resign themselves to yet more fee cuts, they will be heartened to learn that their brothers and sisters in law north of the border saw some of their fees actually rise last year. The annual report of the Scottish Legal Aid Board ...

  • News

    Payback time

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    Talking of legal aid, firms that have been waiting months for their money may have found a notice posted on the Legal Services Commission’s website a tad galling. It concerns the timely payment of expert witnesses. Some experts, it would seem, are a bit miffed ...

  • News

    Words lose value

    2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

    I refer to the letter from Samantha Barrass. How much time and money has been spent coming up with the idea of changing ‘this firm is regulated by…’ to ‘authorised and regulated by…’? I cannot see how all this ‘consultation’ and ‘regulation’ assists solicitors or the ...