Supreme Court: recoverability “may have breached article 6″ and could spark compensation claims – Litigation Futures

Posted July 24th, 2014 in appeals, fees, human rights, insurance, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The pre-Jackson regime of recoverable success fees and after-the-event (ATE) insurance may breach the European Convention on Human Rights, with “very serious consequences for the government”, the Supreme Court suggested yesterday.’

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Litigation Futures, 24th July 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Solicitors will close if fee cuts not delayed, warns Law Society chief – The Guardian

Posted July 21st, 2014 in budgets, criminal justice, fees, law firms, legal aid, news by sally

‘Hundreds of solicitors’ firms will close if the Ministry of Justice does not postpone fee cuts and delay changes to criminal legal aid contracts, the new president of the Law Society has warned.’

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The Guardian, 21st July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lindsay Sandiford case: Bali death row drugs trafficker review call – BBC News

‘The UK Supreme Court has called on the British government to review the case of a grandmother facing execution in Indonesia on drug charges.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar Council reveals preliminary findings of its impact of LASPO survey – The Bar Council

‘The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today presented its preliminary findings from a major survey conducted to assess the impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) 2012.’

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The Bar Council, 12th July 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Barristers suffering post-LASPO, says survey – Litigation Futures

Posted July 14th, 2014 in barristers, fees, legal aid, news, remuneration by sally

‘More than half of barristers conducting civil litigation have seen their income fall since implementation of the Jackson reforms, Bar Council research has found.’

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Litigation Futures, 14th July 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Grayling agrees legal aid truce with barristers over complex fraud trials – The Guardian

Posted July 8th, 2014 in barristers, costs, fees, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, trials by sally

‘Barristers and the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, have agreed a temporary truce in a dispute that threatened to halt all complex fraud trials. Amid taunts of a government climbdown, the Ministry of Justice has enforced a 30% cut in legal aid fees for what are known as Very High Cost Cases (VHCC) but agreed to make more generous payments at an earlier stage in court proceedings.’

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The Guardian, 8th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Practitioner bodies berate ‘face-saving’ bar deal – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 8th, 2014 in barristers, fees, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, solicitors by sally

‘The “backroom” deal agreed by the Ministry of Justice to end the VHCC fee dispute with barristers has been sharply criticised for excluding solicitors who are the “backbone” of the system.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 8th July 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Copycat government websites targeted in crackdown on hoaxers – The Independent

Posted July 7th, 2014 in complaints, consumer protection, fees, fraud, internet, news, passports by sally

‘A crackdown on hoaxers who trick people out of money via copycat government websites has been launched as the Coalition takes action following thousands of complaints over the practice.’

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The Independent, 7th July 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Hacking trial: Legal battle set to cost taxpayers millions of pounds – The Independent

Posted July 2nd, 2014 in appeals, conspiracy, costs, fees, interception, media, news, privacy, prosecutions by sally

‘A legal battle between Rupert Murdoch’s News UK and England’s prosecuting authorities over the “astronomical” costs of the record-breaking phone hacking trial will involve “millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money”.’

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The Independent, 1st July 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lord Dyson to rule on whether cheque for court fees should have been put in Christmas post – Litigation Futures

Posted June 12th, 2014 in appeals, case management, courts, fees, news, sanctions, solicitors by sally

‘One of the three Mitchell cases to be heard by the Master of the Rolls next week centres on whether a solicitor should have put a cheque in the post shortly before Christmas to pay for the hearing fee.’

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Litigation Futures, 12th June 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

“Virtually impossible” for solicitors to claim success fees in cases involving children – Litigation Futures

‘The Civil Procedure Rule Committee is to investigate claims that the Jackson reforms have made it “virtually impossible” for solicitors to claim success fees in cases involving children, it has emerged.’

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Litigation Futures, 11th June 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Can you really divorce online for £37? – Daily Telegraph

‘Filing the papers can be cheap, but to ensure you get the outcome you want you will probably have to spend more.’

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Transport for London seeks legal ruling on Uber car-hire software – The Guardian

Posted June 3rd, 2014 in courts, fees, licensing, news, taxis, transport by sally

‘Transport for London (TfL) has begun to apply for a high court ruling on whether Uber, the car-booking software, illegally encroaches on black-cab drivers’ exclusive right to charge metered fares.’

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The Guardian, 2nd June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Uber app taxi row referred to London’s High Court – BBC News

Posted May 29th, 2014 in courts, fees, industrial action, licensing, news, taxis by michael

‘London’s transport authority has announced it does not believe Uber’s car service is breaking the law by using an app to determine charges.’

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BBC News, 29th May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal Aid Agency may have to bear cost of expert fees – New Law Journal

Posted May 29th, 2014 in costs, expert witnesses, fees, legal aid, news, reports by michael

‘The Legal Aid Agency—formally known as the Legal Service Commission (LSC) —was wrong to refuse to pay the full cost of an expert witness report ordered for a child by the family court.’

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New Law Journal, 28th May 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Letting agents ‘will have to publish their fees in full’ – BBC News

Posted May 14th, 2014 in bills, consumer protection, fees, landlord & tenant, news, regulations, rent by sally

‘The government has said letting agents in England face a new obligation to display full details of their fees both on their websites and in their offices.’

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BBC News, 14th May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

University tuition fees and discretionary leave to remain – Hardwicke Chambers

‘Recent press coverage1 has highlighted a black hole in the government’s finances concerning student debt. A mis-calculation in the number of graduates who will earn enough to repay their loans has meant that, should the number pass the 48% mark (which appears likely – it is currently at 45%, having already been raised from an initial figure of 28%) the government would have been better off keeping to the £3,000 a year tuition fees regime. Little comfort to those students subject to the £9,000 a year rate of fees, but there is another group of people who view students with access to university loans on any terms as the lucky ones: those with discretionary leave to remain (“DLR”).’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 8th April 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

The Jeffrey’s Review – a challenge to the Bar – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘On 7 May 2014 the report by Sir Bill Jeffrey on “Independent criminal advocacy in England and Wales”, the first of the triumvirate of reports into the state of the criminal justice system, was issued. It is a mixed bag. Many lawyers were hoping for more, specifically for ammunition in their battle with the MoJ, but that point is largely ducked. Whilst there is a lot that the (independent) bar can take comfort, and perhaps even pride in, make no mistake – however it is sugar-coated, this is not a homage to the Bar, or a plea to maintain the status quo.’


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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 9th May 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

City fraud cases on brink of collapse in growing row over legal aid cuts – The Guardian

‘The biggest City fraud cases since the crash of 2008 are close to collapsing because of the government’s cuts to legal aid. The refusal of barristers to work at the government’s new low rates has already led to Judge Anthony Leonard throwing out charges against five men accused of conning investors out of their savings by selling them land at grotesquely inflated prices.’

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The Guardian, 10th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rise in rogue lawyers pocketing stamp duty payments – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 9th, 2014 in complaints, fees, legal ombudsman, news, solicitors, stamp duty by sally

‘The Legal Ombudsman has seen a spike in complaints about sloppy legal work around house purchases.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th May 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk