Black lawyers launch initiative to fight racial injustice – Legal Futures

‘A group of lawyers has begun crowdfunding to support a new initiative aiming to combat racial injustice by facilitating access to justice, funding and legal representation.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 4th June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

COVID-19 Guidance Tracker – Six Pump Court

Posted May 29th, 2020 in computer programs, coronavirus, legal profession, news, regulations by sally

‘The “COVID-19 Guidance Tracker” is a new resource set up by the Regulatory team at Six Pump Court which is designed to enable businesses and legal professionals to more easily navigate to the applicable COVID-19 guidance that is most relevant to their area of work.’

Full Story

Six Pump Court, May 2020

Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk

Has coronavirus changed the UK justice system for ever? – The Guardian

‘The pandemic has led to big changes in trials, many of of which are likely to be permanent.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 24th May 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Female barristers warn of “disproportionate attrition” during Covid-19 – Legal Futures

‘Female barristers have urged the courts and chambers to take action to avoid the coronavirus crisis leading to “further and disproportionate attrition of women from the Bar”.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 20th May 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Making defendants state nationality is ‘racialising’ UK courts – report – The Guardian

‘The impartiality of the criminal justice system is being undermined by the requirement that defendants declare their nationality at the start of proceedings, a report into the legislation has said.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 18th May 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Bar in the time of coronavirus – Counsel

Posted May 15th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, legal profession, news, remote hearings by sally

‘The Bar… will it ever be the same again? Melanie Tether and Nadia Motraghi analyse some of the immediate challenges – how to assess the suitability of an individual case for a remote hearing; how to ensure full participation of all parties so that cases are dealt with justly, as well as on an equal footing; and how to enable open justice.’

Full Story

Counsel, May 2020

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Covid-19 “exacerbating” inequality in profession – Legal Futures

‘Women lawyers are worried that the coronavirus crisis is exacerbating inequalities in the profession, with the pandemic hitting them hard, a survey has found.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 15th May 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court hearings running at half pre-virus level – Legal Futures

‘The courts and tribunals in England and Wales are now conducting almost half as many civil and criminal hearings as they did before the coronavirus crisis, a justice minister said yesterday.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 5th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

LSB to check random sample of disciplinary decisions – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) is planning to review a “random sample” of regulators’ disciplinary decisions to ensure the right processes and procedures are in place.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 4th May 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Coronavirus: Jury trials face ‘biggest change since WW2’ – BBC News

‘Coronavirus could prompt the biggest changes to jury trials since World War Two, the head of judiciary in England and Wales has told the BBC.’

Full Story

BBC News, 30th April 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

QC body donates £200k to benevolent associations – Legal Futures

Posted April 28th, 2020 in charities, coronavirus, legal profession, news by sally

‘The body that organises the annual silk round has responded to pressure to release reserves during the coronavirus crisis by donating £200,000 to the benevolent associations for solicitors and barristers.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 28th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Covid-19 could herald reform of reserved legal activities – Legal Futures

‘Changes to the list of reserved activities that only authorised lawyers can do has been floated as one way the ways legal regulation could be flexed to help the profession recover from the Covid-19 crisis.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 27th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA allows trainees to qualify before completing PSC – Legal Futures

‘Trainee solicitors will be able to qualify without first completing the professional skills course (PSC) because of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has decided.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 24th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyers versus climate change – the Climate Contract Playbook – Technology Law Update

Posted April 16th, 2020 in climate change, environmental protection, legal profession, news by sally

‘The 2015 Paris Agreement committed governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming below 2°C, and drive efforts to limit the rise to 1.5°C. The UK Government has since revised the Climate Change Act 2008 to implement a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.’

Full Story

Technology Law Update, 1st April 2020

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

COVID-19, the self-employed and the Bar – a wobbly scheme? – Doughty Street Chambers

‘The Government approved a package of measures targeting the self-employed in response to the Covid-19 crisis. But are these measures sufficient and will they adequately safeguard members of the self-employed Bar, lower paid employees and workers in the gig economy and see sets of Chambers through the crisis? Doughty Street’s employment law team is available to advise on any employment issues that may arise in relation to employment status, sham self-employment agreements and the government’s financial assistance packages in the wake of Covid-19.’

Full Story

Doughty Street Chambers, 10th April 2020

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

‘Too scared to speak out’: young legal aid lawyers highlight Covid-19 pressures – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 9th, 2020 in coronavirus, legal aid, legal profession, news, solicitors, standards by sally

‘Furloughed but asked to work, starting work at 5am, prevented from working from home despite living with vulnerable parents – these are some of the shocking stories to emerge from a survey of junior legal aid lawyers.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 9th April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Privately educated lawyers dominate corporate work – Legal Futures

‘The proportion of solicitors who attended state schools is creeping upwards, but those who went to fee-paying schools dominate corporate work, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 31st March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government identifies justice system’s keyworkers – Legal Futures

‘Legal professionals involved in court and tribunal hearings, as well as those advising people deprived of their liberty or on executing wills are ‘keyworkers’, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 23rd March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Mirror’s in-house lawyers under phone-hacking scrutiny – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has rejected a bid to strike out the claim by various public figures that the legal department of MGN Group knew about phone hacking at the Daily Mirror.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 11th March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Peer calls for regulation overhaul as CMA plans review – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor peer has urged the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to act now and simplify the legal regulatory regime, saying nothing will change if it is left to the profession.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 26th February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk