Last 3 months headlines – Page 1370
-
News
Corrie plays it safe
Residents of Coronation Street no longer need live in fear of miscarriages of justice. Following Memory Lane’s account of the poor legal advice offered to Brian Tilsley back in 1981, we have been assured by Susan Singleton, a member of the Law Society’s press panel, that the programme now consults ...
-
News
Timely union
Obiter loves a lawyer wedding, and it’s all the sweeter when plans are based on a sound grasp of public policy and legal developments. Step forward TLT associate Peter Richards-Gaskin (pictured), who just got engaged to another City lawyer. The firm had thought it would ...
-
News
Frankly speaking
Diversity is an ‘American import’ and as a result class bias was never envisaged as a barrier to the legal profession. Or so claimed one member of the audience at last week’s launch of the Diversity League Table, the Black Solicitors Network’s annual snapshot of diversity in law firms and ...
-
News
Memory lane
Law Society’s Gazette, 6 November 1991 Bar to tackle sex bias The Bar Council has committed to a comprehensive anti-sex discrimination programme following a 102 to 19 vote in favour of a resolution by the Association of Women Barristers (AWB) at the ...
-
News
Plight of Colombian lawyers dramatised
Human rights lawyers in Colombia live under constant threat of violence and death, according to campaign group Peace Brigades International. At an event at Middle Temple Hall, London, this week, artist Helen Chadwick and actors Joanna Foster, Stephanie Street, Samuel West, Juliet Stevenson and Zoe Wanamaker dramatised, with readings and ...
-
News
MASS chief calls for ‘honesty’ over fees ban
The chair of the Motor Accident Solicitors Society has appealed to the insurance industry for ‘honesty’ in the debate over the effects of a ban on referral fees. Addressing the Association of British Insurers conference on Tuesday, Donna Scully, partner at Liverpool firm Carpenters, called ...
-
News
Bar aptitude pilot a success
A proposed aptitude test for bar students could accurately identify individuals who would do well in their courses, according to pilot studies. The Bar Standards Board proposed the test for students applying for the bar professional training course following the 2008 Wood review. The hour-long ...
-
News
Top analyst predicts rash of legal mergers
A leading legal market authority has predicted a rash of mergers at top 50 firms in the next five years. Tony Williams (pictured), founder of consultancy firm Jomati and former managing partner of Clifford Chance, told a conference last week that further consolidation is inevitable as ...
-
News
Statutory reform is needed to create a fair judicial process for cohabitants
by Claire Blakemore, a partner in the family team at international law firm Withers On 9 November the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in Kernott v Jones, a case concerning the property rights of cohabitants.
-
News
Stop misleading the public with costly additional expenses in terms and conditions
I was recently asked to provide a conveyancing quote for a financial adviser who later produced for me a copy of the quote that his client had received via the estate agents. Our quotes were very similar, but on reading their terms and conditions there were ...
-
News
A heartfelt thanks
All too often our profession fails to trumpet the good things we do. A fine example of worthwhile activity is the splendid, generous work of the trustees of the Law Society Charity. Since its foundation in 1974, the charity has quietly made well over 1,000 donations ...
-
News
Freehold covenant: ‘shelf life’ needed
Every conveyancer knows that the possibility of an old covenant imposed upon a freehold property being enforced is practically nil. Yet instead of taking a view, as was the practice 20 to 30 years ago, everyone now demands insurance to the great benefit of insurance companies, but, so far as ...
-
News
Quality marks must not ‘usurp’ regulators
The legal sector’s consumer watchdog has today warned that voluntary quality marks should not be made mandatory to access part of the market as this could ‘usurp’ the role of regulators. In a new report, the Legal Services Consumer Panel also called for such schemes to ...
-
News
Economic crises have allowed decisions to be taken at such speed that the voices of professionals have not been heard
One precept remains stubbornly unaltered as the western economies struggle. It is the assumption by the European Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank (the ‘Troika’) that liberalising markets, by removing ‘barriers to entry’ and encouraging free market competition, inevitably equates to worthwhile gains for consumers.
-
News
Litigation funding under threat?
The launch of the new voluntary code of conduct for litigation funders at the Royal Courts of Justice last night was described as a ‘watershed moment’ by Leslie Perrin of funder Calunius Capital, who will chair the new Association set up to police the code. Another ...
-
News
PI lawyers criticise Clarke’s coroner policy
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has criticised justice secretary Kenneth Clarke’s refusal to allow appeals against a coroner’s verdict. Clarke has scrapped plans to abolish the post of chief coroner after heavy opposition from charities such as the Royal British Legion.
-
News
Recruiting staff
We recently went through the process of advertising a vacancy. No really, we had an opening for another member of staff. We advertised online and in print. One of the main reasons to advertise a vacancy is really to advertise the firm. It tells people ...
-
News
Economists say Jackson reforms will cost £70m a year
The Jackson reforms of civil litigation will cost the taxpayer more than £70m a year in employers’ liability cases, according to a report prepared by economists. The report, published by consultancy firm London Economics, states that much-vaunted savings in damages pay-outs and insurance premiums will be ...
-
News
Appeal court in landmark ruling on migrant removal
Migrants are denied the right of access to the court if they are given under 72 hours’ notice of their removal from the UK, the Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. The judgment frustrates the UK Border Agency’s aim to win permission for zero-notice removals. In ...
-
News
Transparency - lawyers have got off lightly
Few readers will mourn the demise of the website Solicitors from Hell. But anyone who thinks its closure will mark the end of unauthorised online scrutiny of the profession is in for a shock. I'm not talking about the certainty that some rogue will sooner or ...