Last 3 months headlines – Page 1372
-
News
Snooze control
The justice secretary copped some stick for – allegedly – nodding off during chancellor George Osborne’s budget speech last week. But while Ed Miliband accused the lord chancellor of catching 40 winks, and Ladbrokes revealed it had paid out a four-figure sum to a customer ...
-
News
A royal ding-dong
While Obiter will be having a quiet word with the postman about the strange non-arrival of a Royal Wedding invite, there is some comfort in the knowledge that there is another exciting royal event – with plenty of bells – in 2012. Next year will ...
-
News
Age-old problem
How many firms of solicitors are complying with equality legislation, with particular regard to age discrimination? Time and time again (indeed it is the norm) I see jobs advertised for staff who are, for example, ‘1-3 years qualified’, or ‘5-10 years qualified’. ...
-
News
Train of thought
Obiter applauds Helen Molyneux, managing partner and director of New Law Legal in Cardiff, for winning Woman of the Year at the Welsh Women Mean Business Awards this month. Molyneux ditched a partnership with a global law firm to set up the firm in 2004 ...
-
News
NatWest shame
I am a newly qualified criminal defence solicitor. I write with reference to your recent item on NatWest’s decision effectively to scrap graduate loans. I am one of those solicitors who would not have made it without such financial backing. I came from a comprehensive school, ...
-
News
Loopy litigants
More or less the first training I had during my articles in the 1950s was the morning rounds of summonses held in the Bear Garden at the Royal Courts of Justice, writes James Morton. Today, everything is probably done electronically, but back then there was ...
-
News
Ombudsman under fire over ‘cautious’ approach to complaints publishing
The Legal Ombudsman was accused of having fallen for ‘spurious objections from the legal profession’ today as it revealed its plans for a ‘staged approach’ to publishing information about complaints against law firms. In the first part of a three-stage approach, LeO has immediately begun ...
-
News
Businesses fear hike in employment claims
A survey by national firm Irwin Mitchell has revealed the extent to which businesses believe government plans to scrap the default retirement age (DRA) will cause a hike in employment claims against them. Some 57% of businesses said they thought the removal of the DRA would ...
-
News
Making the most of law firm mergers
In the last few days we have seen announcements of two mergers: Noble is merging with Wembley and Watford http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/legal-aid-firm-merger-embrace-new-opportunities .
-
News
Making the most of law firm mergers
In the last few days we have seen announcements of two mergers: Noble is merging with Wembley and Watford to create critical mass in the criminal defence market and Weightmans is to merge with Mace and Jones on 1 May.
-
News
Proposals address ‘scandalous’ delays in family proceedings
The Family Justice System is ‘not working’ with ‘scandalous’ delays which are harmful to vulnerable children and adults, according to the independent Family Justice Review panel. The panel’s interim report, published today, said the system needs significant reform to tackle delays and ensure the 500,000 children ...
-
News
Police cuts force Tesco Law announcement
Controversial amendments being considered to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill are aimed at giving interested businesses a role in front line policing. Supermarket giant Tesco is known to be among the credible companies actively looking to diversify into this area. ...
-
News
Employment law changes could ‘affect women’
Changes to employment laws announced in last week's budget are encouraging for small employers but could disproportionately affect women, solicitors have warned. Plans revealed by chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne included a three-year moratorium on new regulations for small companies and start-ups; a consultation to ...
-
News
SRA set to become ABS regulator
The Law Society Council gave the green light to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s application to become a licensing authority for alternative business structures last week. Having obtained the council’s approval, the SRA will now submit its application to the Legal Services Board, putting it on track ...
-
News
An alternative view on litigation costs
by Seamus Smyth, senior partner in Carter Lemon Camerons LLP and President of the London Solicitors Litigation Association What’s wrong with our civil litigation? Why have we had to have Woolf and Jackson? Is there a solution to the cost-and-access problem?
-
News
Bribery Act start date revealed by Clarke
The Bribery Act will come into force on 1 July, the government announced today, as it published delayed compliance guidance for businesses. Briefing reporters this morning, justice secretary Kenneth Clarke said that it was ‘best to get it right rather than head for some artificial deadline’. ...
-
News
'Exhausted' lawyers in care cases need more support
A detailed and enlightening report on the representation of parents in care proceedings was published this week by academics at Bristol University law school. The study, by Julia Pearce and Professor Judith Masson, provides an interesting insight into the pivotal role played by lawyers in the ...
-
News
Expert witnesses lose 400-year-old immunity
Expert witnesses have lost their immunity from being sued over matters arising in the course of proceedings, following a landmark ruling today. By a majority of five to two, the Supreme Court removed the 400-year-old protection that gave expert witnesses immunity from suit for breach of duty whether in contract ...
-
News
Litigation funder boosts its investment resources
Third-party litigation funder Burford Capital has boosted its investment resources above the $300m (£187m) mark, making it the largest fund of its kind in the world, according to its first annual report. The company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), ...