Legal aid lawyers overpaid by £50m – Daily Telegraph
“Lawyers were overpaid by more than £50 million for legal aid work last year, auditors have discovered.”
Daily Telegraph, 27th October 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Lawyers were overpaid by more than £50 million for legal aid work last year, auditors have discovered.”
Daily Telegraph, 27th October 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke announced tough measures to better protect people from intruders, dangerous criminals and excessive no-win no-fee legal costs.”
Ministry of Justice, 26th October 2011
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“An insurer cannot refuse to pay fees for an insured’s choice of solicitor solely because the solicitor’s rates are higher than a limit stipulated by the insurers, a court has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 26th October 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Motto and others v Trafigura Ltd and another [2011] EWCA Civ 1150; [2011] WLR (D) 292
“Where a costs judge determined that base costs were disproportionate for the purposes of CPR r 44.4(2)(a), to render them proportionate the judge was required to satisfy himself that the work on each item on the bill of costs was necessary, and, if necessary, that the cost of the item was reasonable. That was the approach to be taken generally, including in group litigation.”
WLR Daily, 12th October 2011
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
“The Law Society has launched a legal challenge against the government over criminal legal aid fees.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 5th October 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“Customers who go to law firms are too often left in ignorance about progress in their case then burdened with a huge bill at the end of proceeedings, according to the chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).”
The Guardian, 6th October 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The system of hourly billing by lawyers has come under scrutiny for some time, and whilst this might not be a new phenomenon, the increased move towards fixed fees and what this might mean for the sector, certainly is.”
The Lawyer, 4th October 2011
Source: www.thelawyer.com
“Exclusive: Lawyers are under pressure to adopt more ‘consumer friendly’ fee structures amid thousands of complaints from clients about inflated billing charges, the legal watchdog has warned. ”
Daily Telegraph, 1st October 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Former News of the World editor and Downing Street aide Andy Coulson is suing a division of News International after it stopped paying his legal fees over the phone-hacking scandal.”
Daily Telegraph, 24th September 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“The family of Milly Dowler, the murdered teenager whose mobile phone was hacked by the News of the World, has written to the prime minister urging him to abandon legal reforms that will prevent victims suing for compensation.”
The Guardian, 22nd September 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Related link: Dowler family letter to David Cameron
“The controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) will be implemented in stages, but there will be no pilot, it has emerged.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 22nd September 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“The Office of Fair Trading is to investigate whether UK holidaymakers are paying too much for foreign currency following a super-complaint by a consumer watchdog.”
The Guardian, September 21st 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“As the countdown to 3rd October continues, concern is growing among practitioners not only about their own fees but about the position regarding experts. There are very real worries that experts will simply be unwilling to work for the new prescribed rates.”
Legal Aid Handbook Blog, 16th September 2011
Source: www: http://legalaidhandbook.com
“Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs have rejected an amendment to legislation that would exempt claims brought by foreigners against UK multinationals from civil litigation reforms. The Public Bill Committee debated the amendment to the Legal Aid, Punishment of Offenders and Sentencing Bill, tabled by Labour MP Kate Green, yesterday.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 14th September 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“A coalition of high-profile, international charities has condemned the government’s legal reforms for denying overseas victims of UK multinationals any chance of justice. In a letter to the Guardian, Amnesty International, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam and others warn that if the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, succeeds in restricting ‘no win, no fee’ agreements then Trafigura-style cases could never be brought again.”
The Guardian, 11th September 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The government has today announced that it will ban the payment of referral fees in personal injury cases. The Ministry of Justice said the current arrangements have led to high costs, encouraged a ‘compensation culture’ and led to the growth of an industry which pursues claimants for profit.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 9th September 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk