Law Society Gazette 21 January 2010

SRA poised to relax conflict rules

Law firms will be able to advise rival clients on the same deal after the SRA laid down plans to relax conflict of interest and confidentiality rules. The proposed rule changes being pushed through by the regulator will permit firms to act for ‘sophisticated clients’ in ‘any situation where there is a conflict of interest’, except for litigation.

20 January 2000

UK may miss directive deadline

The government looks set to miss the implementation deadline for the European Rights of Establishment Directive, throwing into chaos plans to bring European lawyers within the ambit of the legal profession – and severely embarrassing the UK legal profession on the international stage. 

17 January 1990

Concern mounts over solicitor arrests

The Law Society has complained to the Home Office about an increasing number of solicitor arrests by the police in circumstances where the reasons for the arrest or the manner of the arrest gave cause for concern. In one case, a solicitor was arrested after he failed to give information on a client who had been acquitted of theft but who later popped up to claim a reward for return of the goods. 

16 January 1980

1980 – a bumpy ride?

Since 1978 the number of practising solicitors has risen by 1,597 to 35,461. The Society’s registry say there are now more solicitors chasing fewer openings than at any time in the post-war period. 

January 1970

Cases: Joinder of counts

Cornell murdered in March 1966. McVitie murdered in October 1967. A voluntary bill was charged resulting in a joint trial in which Ronald Kray and another were convicted of Cornell’s murder and Reginald Kray was convicted of being an accessory after the fact to that murder and Ronald and Reginald Kray and others were convicted of McVitie’s murder. Held: The joinder of the two offences of murder was not contrary to law.

Topics