Last 3 months headlines – Page 1322
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At the double
Obiter always thought BOGOF offers were limited to bags of satsumas, convincing shoppers to take home a small mountain of citrus fruit, only to feel guilty when half of it has to be discarded after a week. But it seems the ‘buy one, get one ...
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Moral entrepreneurs
Some years ago, when I was rather reluctantly having the principles of criminology drilled into me, one of the concepts that interested me most was what was called a symbolic crusade with moral entrepreneurs. It comes about when a group of reformers seizes upon a topic ...
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News focus: Fast-track justice and the riots
Lawyers have recounted extraordinary scenes both of chaos and professional dedication over the past 10 days, as defence solicitors, prosecutors, magistrates and court staff worked through the night to deal with the unprecedented number of people arrested in the wake of last week’s riots across England. ...
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Yorkshire entrepreneur plans new chain of high-street law shops
A Yorkshire law firm has teamed up with the founder of Freeserve to launch a national chain of high-street law stores called Legal365. Last Cawthra Feather and Ajaz Ahmed (pictured) launched the venture in July as a website - Legal365.com - to enable consumers and small ...
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Arbitration
Award - Enforcement - Arbitration finding repudiatory breach of contract Dowans Holding SA and another company v Tanzania Electric Supply Co Ltd: QBD (Comm) (Mr Justice Burton): 27 July 2011 ...
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UK opens route for exceptionally talented migrants
On 20 July the government announced requirements and application procedures for the recently introduced tier 1 (exceptional talent) route under the points-based system. These are part of recent reforms to reduce net migration into the UK and to tackle abuse, while at the same time encouraging the best and the ...
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The SRA has failed to mitigate the risk of solicitors being adversely affected
I write in response to John Hyde’s article, ‘Solicitor-advocates fear QASA disadvantage'. While Mr Hyde comprehensively summarises the issues surrounding judges’ refusal to take part in evaluation, the SRA’s QASA Forum (on 25 July) revealed more fundamental concerns, as highlighted by the Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates and the ...
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Many lawyers remain ignorant of what MEPs do
by Timothy Kirkhope MEP, (Yorkshire and the Humber) There are several areas of importance to solicitors in England and Wales arising out of the work of the European parliament; in particular, upcoming issues from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, on which I ...
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Market deregulation does not always lead to more choice and increased quality
The Legal Services Board’s research note on alternative business structures seems to be preparing the ground for a slow start, with more transformative developments anticipated later on. So far, so cautious; though, yet again, the board cannot resist a bout of free-market proselytising. Market liberalisation will ...
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Portal progress
While discussions about the concept of splitting the costs of using the RTA portal are ongoing, the notion that any decision has been made is premature. The key concern is how independence in decision-making in the portal can be ensured and all options in relation ...
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We can all read the Equality Act
For as long as I can remember, the Law Society has tried to collect diversity data from me, as an individual, and my response has always been the same. Mind your own business. Now the Legal Services Board is to require regulators to ensure firms collect information on their staff. ...
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A pointless exercise in self-justification
Your news item ‘Compulsory diversity data' goes some way to explaining why lawyers have become so disenchanted with the ever increasing regulatory bureaucracy.
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SRA set to license ABSs in early 2012
The Solicitors Regulation Authority does not expect to start licensing alternative business structures until early 2012, it has said in a new guide to help prospective ABS owners. The guide includes information about which firms need to be authorised as ABSs, essential requirements and details about ...
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Working party established to help implement Jackson
The Civil Justice Council has today announced the membership of an expert working party that will consider implementation of the Jackson (pictured) reforms of civil litigation costs. The working party will help develop practical proposals to assist with the implementation of secondary legislation on: qualified one-way ...
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LeO goes to court to enforce decisions against law firms
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has resorted to court action for the first time to enforce a decision against a firm of solicitors. Only after the action was launched did the firm pay out £2,650 in compensation to a client, as the ombudsman had ordered, plus interest. ...
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Halliwells’ administration - nice work if you can get it
When I grow up I want to be an insolvency practitioner. That was my rather facetious thought upon reading BDO’s latest administrators’ report on the collapse of Halliwells. Nothing to do with the defunct firm’s travails as such – though since RBS is down over £15m it looks like taxpayers ...
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Advocacy assurance scheme is ‘bar-centric’, solicitor claims
A significant number of solicitor advocates will not qualify for higher rights advocacy under a proposed ‘bar-centric’ Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA), the chair of the Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates (SAHCA) has claimed. SAHCA chairman Jo Cooper said that advocacy regulator the Joint ...
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Society sends letter of claim to Solicitors from Hell owner
The Law Society sent a letter of claim to the owner of the Solicitors from Hell website last week, as it prepared to launch a class action against him on behalf of the profession. The letter demands that website owner Rick Kordowski must close the site, ...