Last 3 months headlines – Page 1314
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Decision to allow television broadcasting in court is not backed by sufficient research
by Paul Lambert, a lecturer in law at the National University of Ireland, Galway The government’s plan to overturn the ban on cameras in the courtroom was broadly (if sometimes cautiously) welcomed, but it is problematic.
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Chancery Lane strikes new deal for cheaper indemnity insurance
Firms with Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) and Lexcel accreditation will be able to take advantage of reduced professional indemnity insurance premiums, following a deal agreed between the Law Society and broker Hera Indemnity. Law Society chief executive Des Hudson said: ‘There has been anecdotal evidence that Lexcel can reduce ...
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Commons rejects Brussels proposal for EU-wide rights for suspects
MPs have voted against a proposal to safeguard the rights of suspects detained at police stations across Europe to have access to lawyer. Justice secretary Kenneth Clarke tabled a motion last week recommending that the UK should not opt into a draft European Union directive that ...
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Practising law in a ‘mafia state’
He practises law in a country that is said to be even more dangerous than Colombia. He has received death threats, someone tried to kill him by sabotaging his car and he fears for the lives of his wife and children. His ...
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Government to ban referral fees in personal injury cases
The government has today announced that it will ban the payment of referral fees in personal injury cases. The Ministry of Justice said the current arrangements have led to high costs, encouraged a ‘compensation culture’ and led to the growth of an industry which pursues claimants ...
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Riots - ‘swift justice’ should be the rule, minister tells police
Outlining plans to increase the efficiency of the criminal justice process today, Nick Herbert said the response to the recent riots showed how the process could be improved. He wants to extend the use of virtual courts and digitise the system, saving time and money.
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Plan to publish family court judgments online may be reviewed amid cost-benefit concerns
The Ministry of Justice may scale back plans to publish family court judgments online, after a review of the pilot project questioned whether there was any ‘real benefit’ in reporting every case. The pilot tested the feasibility of issuing written judgments in certain types of family ...
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Third-party funding of litigation - views from the US and Australia
The recondite topic of third-party funding of litigation has been in the news over the summer. The Gazette reported last month that the Civil Justice Council is on the verge of agreeing a code of conduct for third-party funders, and that an association for funders will be set up.
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Silly names and new law firms
Phew! Eduardo Reyes also thinks that 'some of the law firm franchise labels people have come up with sound so silly'. I have been thinking along the same lines for a while. With all the talk of "brands" emerging within the legal profession, I wonder whether ...
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Pitfalls of percentages
Percentages are the most common statistics which lawyers encounter in daily working life. You need to be confident of case facts and recognise potentially incomplete detail or evidence in order to defend your clients’ best interests. However, how do you see behind ...
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Referral fee ‘witch hunt’ will ‘jeopardise thousands of jobs’
Ministers have been warned that banning personal injury referral fees will put thousands of jobs at risk and do nothing to reduce insurance premiums. Darren Werth, chairman of the Claims Standards Council, which represents claims management businesses, admitted he was shocked by the government’s announcement.
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Chancery Lane urges solicitors to back EU-wide access to a lawyer
The Law Society has called on solicitors to support the right of suspects detained at police stations across Europe to have access to a lawyer. It wants solicitors to lobby their MPs to vote against a government motion that the UK should not opt into an ...
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Lack of detail in referral fee announcement
If the devil is in the detail, this government is starting to seem angelic. There was excitement unbounded in the newsroom on Thursday afternoon as the Ministry of Justice confirmed that referral fees will be banned for personal injury claims. But reading ...
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Downs to leave LSC for top local government post
Carolyn Downs is leaving the Legal Services Commission to take up a new role at the Local Government Association in the new year. Downs took over as chief executive of the LSC in March 2010 on secondment from the Ministry of Justice, following the resignation of ...
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Top firms sign up to new internship scheme
More than 20 leading law firms have signed up to a scheme that guarantees work experience for young people from less privileged backgrounds. The commitment, launched this week under the name of Prime, will see firms offer a minimum of 30 hours of work experience per ...
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Labour targets Lib Dems on legal aid bill
Solicitors have welcomed opposition amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill tabled this week, but warned that debate on access to justice issues could be drowned out if MPs choose to focus on sentencing reform as a result of political priorities. ...
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Legal aid reform could be 'business deterrent'
The government’s legal aid reforms could undermine the reputation of the English legal system and deter people from doing business in the UK, the chairman-elect of the Bar Council has warned. Michael Todd QC (pictured) told the Gazette that the English legal system boasts exceptional judges ...
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Call for changes to quality assurance scheme
The Law Society is to make a direct appeal to regulators to change details of the contentious Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA). Several solicitor-advocates have contacted the Society to register their concerns at the proposed assessment scheme. In particular, practitioners have ...
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Lawyers are taking stock in preparation for PII
This year, renewal is about what is not happening in the professional indemnity insurance market - this is not the year that the assigned risks pool is closed down, nor the year that the renewal date will change, and the impact of alternative business structures has yet to be felt. ...