Judge complains of “too many swindlers” after wrongly questioning status of solicitor – Legal Futures

Posted February 8th, 2016 in appeals, bias, internet, judges, landlord & tenant, Law Society, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A judge who wrongly questioned the status of a solicitor after doing his own research on the Law Society’s website, has been criticised by the Court of Appeal.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 5th February 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Speech by Lord Justice Jackson – The Case for a CLAF – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Lord Justice Jackson gave the keynote speech at the Solicitors’ Costs Conference on 2 February 2016.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 4th February 2016

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Court estate consolidation plans based on flawed data – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 12th, 2015 in consultations, courts, delay, Law Society, local government, news, solicitors, statistics by tracey

‘Lawyers and justice campaigners have raised fresh concerns about the government’s court closure programme, alleging that the proposals are based on out-of-date travel times and other dubious data.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 12th October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Society in England calls for ‘radical’ employment tribunal reform – OUT-LAW.com

‘The UK employment tribunal system is in need of “radical” restructuring if it is to work fairly and efficiently for employees, employers and the broader administration of justice, according to the Law Society of England and Wales.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 14th September 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Society: overhaul employment tribunals and scrap fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 8th, 2015 in employment tribunals, fees, Law Society, news by sally

‘Radical changes to the employment tribunal structure are needed to ensure unlawful workplace practices do not go unpunished, the Law Society has said.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 7th September 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Enforce family court orders but don’t jail debtors – Society – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 13th, 2015 in debts, enforcement, family courts, imprisonment, Law Commission, Law Society, news by sally

‘The Law Society has called for simpler procedures to enforce family financial orders and said creditors should be armed with more information.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 12th August 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Government ‘selling justice like a commodity’ with fee rises – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 27th, 2015 in fees, Law Society, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘Government plans for a new round of court fee rises are “tantamount to selling justice like a commodity”, the Law Society has said, as the Ministry of Justice acknowledged its plans would be unpopular.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 27th July 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Society drops plan to bring JR over court fee rises – Litigtation Futures

Posted April 10th, 2015 in fees, judicial review, Law Society, news by tracey

‘The Law Society has rowed back from seeking a judicial review of the recent court fee increases, citing counsel’s opinion.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 9th April 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Solicitors fail to stop cuts in legal aid defence contracts – The Guardian

Posted March 26th, 2015 in appeals, Law Society, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘Criminal solicitors have failed in their attempt to prevent the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, imposing deep cuts on the number of legal aid contracts for defence lawyers.’

Full story

The Guardian, 25th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Witness-informing threatens fairness, Society warns – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 18th, 2015 in Law Society, news, witnesses by sally

‘Informing witnesses of the general nature of a defence case could jeopardise the fairness of the trial, the Law Society has said in response to a consultation on draft prosecution guidance.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid reforms: Solicitors lose duty contracts challenge – BBC News

Posted February 19th, 2015 in appeals, criminal justice, Law Society, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘Solicitors have lost a legal challenge against government plans to cut by more than half the number of duty lawyers attending magistrates’ courts and police stations in England and Wales.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

In re Law Society – WLR Daily

Posted February 18th, 2015 in data protection, documents, human rights, law reports, Law Society, privacy, solicitors by sally

In re Law Society [2015] EWHC 166 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 60

‘The Law Society had power under paragraph 16 of Part II of Schedule 1 to the Solicitors Act 1974 to destroy old and redundant documents seized in connection with interventions.’

WLR Daily, 9th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Intervention papers may be destroyed, court rules – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 11th, 2015 in archives, documents, Law Society, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The Law Society can destroy 1.5 million files seized from Solicitors Regulation Authority interventions in solicitors’ practices, the High Court has ruled.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th February 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Profession unites in opposition to “disastrous” court fee rises – Litigation Futures

Posted January 27th, 2015 in consultations, courts, fees, Law Society, news by sally

‘The Law Society has pledged to challenge the government’s decision to introduce enhanced court fees from April and said it will strenuously oppose more planned hikes.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 27th January 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Grayling’s legal aid reforms ‘irrational’, Law Society argues – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 16th, 2015 in contracts, judicial review, Law Society, legal aid, news, tenders by sally

‘The lord chancellor’s decision to start a tender process for legal aid crime duty contracts is unlawful because it is “irrational”, “disproportionate” and based on a “manifest error”, the Law Society will argue in the High Court.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 15th January 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Society wins groundbreaking injunction against struck-off solicitor – Legal Futures

Posted January 16th, 2015 in disciplinary procedures, injunctions, Law Society, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Law Society has obtained a groundbreaking injunction that prevents a struck-off solicitor from holding himself out as a solicitor or being involved in a law firm without its approval.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 16th January 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Society of England and Wales v Shah – WLR Daily

Posted January 15th, 2015 in disciplinary procedures, injunctions, law reports, Law Society, solicitors by sally

Law Society of England and Wales v Shah [2014] EWHC 4382 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 5

‘The supervisory jurisdiction embodied in section 50 of the Solicitors Act 1974 could not be invoked by the Law Society in the case of a solicitor who may have pretended to be one, but who had not necessarily done so, who denied doing so, and had not been cross-examined on the issue. Section 41(4)(c) of the 1974 Act was wide enough to enable the court to grant an order against a struck off former solicitor, which could be framed so as to restrain him from committing criminal acts, namely that of acting as a solicitor when disqualified, or carrying on a reserved legal activity without entitlement to do so.’

WLR Daily, 12th January 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Law Society questions value of cab-rank rule – Legal Futures

Posted January 7th, 2015 in barristers, contracts, fees, Law Society, legal representation, news, solicitors by tracey

‘The Law Society has responded to a Bar Standards Board (BSB) call for evidence on the cab-rank rule by questioning its “operational value”.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 7th January 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Revealed: Law Society did not seek advice on Sharia law before issuing controversial wills guidance – Legal Futures

Posted December 8th, 2014 in islamic law, Law Society, news, wills by sally

‘The Law Society did not consult any experts in Sharia law before issuing the controversial practice note on Sharia-compliant wills that it was forced to withdraw last month, it has emerged.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 8th December 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Society withdraws guidance on sharia wills – The Guardian

Posted November 25th, 2014 in islamic law, Law Society, news, solicitors, wills by sally

‘The Law Society has withdrawn guidance on how to prepare sharia-compliant wills following criticism from solicitors and the justice secretary, Chris Grayling. Recorded debates about the procedures have also been removed from the society’s website.’

Full story

The Guardian, 24th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk