Speech by Lord Chief Justice: Dinner for Her Majesty’s Judges – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Speech by The Right Hon. The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 9th July 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Legal professionals are becoming more innovative in running their businesses but more is needed – Legal Services Board

‘Findings from the largest ever study of innovation in the legal sector, commissioned by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Legal Services Board (LSB), suggest that legal professionals ,including solicitors and barristers, are becoming more innovative in the organisation and management of their business.’
Full story

Legal Services Board, 7th July 2015

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Tribunal rejects request for correspondence between solicitor and planning officers – Local Government Lawyer

‘The First-Tier Tribunal has ruled that a district council was entitled to refuse to disclose correspondence passing between one of its solicitors and various members of its planning department.’
Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 30th June 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Surge in ‘DIY’ justice sparks guidelines for lawyers – The Bar Council

Posted June 19th, 2015 in legal profession, litigants in person, press releases by sally

‘A surge in the number of people representing themselves in court has prompted legal organisations to draft guidelines for lawyers who come up against people who find themselves in court without legal representation.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 18th June 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Lawyers urged to play it cool with litigants in person – Legal Futures

‘Solicitors, barristers and legal executives have been told by their professional bodies to be polite and non-judgemental when dealing with litigants in person (LiPs), and take “extra care to avoid using inflammatory words or phrases”.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 4th June 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

European Court of Human Rights: Lawyers do not have same freedom to speak out as journalists – Legal Futures

Posted May 29th, 2015 in defamation, freedom of expression, human rights, legal profession, news by sally

‘Lawyers do not have the same rights to speak out on sensitive and high-profile cases as journalists, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 29th May 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Costs lawyers become latest to call for level playing field in QC appointments – Litigation Futures

Posted May 6th, 2015 in costs, legal profession, news, queen's counsel by sally

‘Costs lawyers and others with rights of audience who are not currently eligible for appointment as Queen’s Counsel should have the right to apply for silk, the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) has said.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 6th May 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

The Professions: Power, Privilege and Legal Liability – Speech by Lord Justice Jackson

Posted April 30th, 2015 in legal profession, negligence, news, professional conduct, speeches by sally

The Professions: Power, Privilege and Legal Liability (PDF)

Speech by Lord Justice Jackson

Professional Negligence Bar Association, 21st April 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Start the clock – New Law Journal

Posted April 30th, 2015 in insurance, legal profession, news, privilege by sally

‘When does a contractual retainer arise & when does legal advice privilege apply, asks David Burrows.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 24th April 2015

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Birdseye and another v Roythorne & Co and others – WLR Daily

Birdseye and another v Roythorne & Co and others [2015] EWHC 1003 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 169

‘It remained the case that a person had to establish as a prima facie case that he was a beneficiary before there could be any question of the court requiring a trustee or executor to disclose documents which would be protected by privilege if the applicant were not a beneficiary.’

WLR Daily, 15th April 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Fairness in the courts: the best we can do – Speech by Lord Neuberger

Fairness in the courts: the best we can do (PDF)

Speech by Lord Neuberger

Supreme Court, 10th April 2015

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

Legal professional privilege was waived, High Court rules in probate dispute – Litigation Futures

Posted April 17th, 2015 in legal profession, negligence, news, privilege, striking out by sally

‘The High Court has rejected an application to strike out part of a negligence claim on the grounds that they referred to matters protected by legal professional privilege.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 16th April 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Lawyers to be offered new .law domain names – Legal Futures

Posted April 15th, 2015 in internet, legal profession, news by sally

‘Law firms, legal publishers, law societies and bar associations will be able to reserve web addresses using the new generic domain name .law for $200 (£135) a year, it has emerged.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 15th April 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Paralegals could damage solicitor ‘brand’ – survey – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Paralegals who qualify as solicitors without completing a formal training contract could damage the solicitor ‘brand’, according to a survey by Leeds Law Society.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 31st March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Keep legal executives out of the Crown Court, Rivlin report demands – Legal Futures

‘A report for the Bar Council on the future of criminal justice and advocacy has recommended that legal executives are kept out of the Crown Courts, while solicitors should only be granted rights of audience if they have undergone the same level of training as barristers.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 31st March 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Paralegal hopes to be first solicitor admitted through ‘equivalent means’ route – Legal Futures

‘Paralegal Shaun Lawler has said he hopes to be the first solicitor admitted to the profession through the ‘equivalent means’ route rather a traditional training contract.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 20th March 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Freedom of Information and Data Protection: Case Law Update 2014 – Thirty Nine Essex Street

‘This paper covers key information rights cases in 2014. The breadth of issues covered below, from legal professional privilege, human rights to vexatious requests, demonstrates the overlap between information law and many other areas of public law. This paper is intended to provide guidance, even for those who are not steeped, day-to-day, in the workings of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Data Protection Act 1998 (the “DPA”), on the practical implications of these developments.’

Full story (PDF)

Thirty Nine Essex Street, February 2015

Source: www.39essex.com

QC status “should be extended” beyond barristers and solicitors – Legal Futures

‘QC status should be available to all advocates appearing in the higher courts, whether or not they are barristers or solicitors, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 18th March 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Gender equality and diversity in the judiciary – two years later and little has changed – Halsburys Law Exchange

Posted March 10th, 2015 in diversity, equality, judiciary, legal profession, news by sally

‘In 2009, when asked by the then Lord Chancellor to look at judicial diversity, Baroness Neuberger said: “Judges drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences will bring varying perspectives to bear on critical legal issues. A judiciary which is more visibly reflective of society will enhance public confidence.” Although it would appear that even 6 years later, not a lot has changed.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 9th March 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Access all areas? – New Law Journal

‘Overriding lawyer-client & confidential communications is incompatible with the rule of law, as Nicholas Griffin QC, Robert O’Sullivan QC & Gordon Nardell QC explain.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 27th February 2015

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk