Cry freedom: SRA wants to become separate legal entity from Law Society – Legal Futures

‘Legal regulators have urged the Legal Services Board (LSB) to use its review of the internal governance rules (IGR) to give them greater independence from their representative bodies.’

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Legal Futures, 16th February 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court of Protection: SRA regulation allows for immediate approval of trust corporations – Legal Futures

Posted February 13th, 2018 in Court of Protection, news, Solicitors Regulation Authority, trusts by sally

‘Trust corporations wanting to act as property and affairs deputies for incapacitated people must be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to gain immediate approval, the Court of Protection (CoP) has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 12th February 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court: SRA should have held oral hearing before deciding not to admit would-be solicitor – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has ordered the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to make a fresh judgment of a would-be solicitor’s character and suitability to join the profession after finding that it had wrongly denied her an oral hearing to explain an issue that it decided showed dishonesty.’

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Legal Futures, 12th February 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Exclusive: Solicitors choose “practical and proportionate” BSB regulation in ABS first – Legal Futures

‘Solicitors setting up an alternative business structure (ABS) this month in Marlborough, Wiltshire, have chosen to be regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).’

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Legal Futures, 12th January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SDT orders solicitor who failed to overturn £2,000 fine to pay £54,000 in costs – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has ordered a solicitor who tried to overturn a fine of £2,000 from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to pay £54,000 in costs following her unsuccessful appeal.’

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Legal Futuresm 9th January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Consumer panel warns SRA that latest Handbook reforms are recipe for “consumer confusion” – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Consumer Panel (LSCP) has warned that the second phase of reforms to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Handbook would “compound existing complexities” and could further confuse consumers.’

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Legal Futures, 9th January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA ponders penalties for failure to publish complaints data – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority has indicated that firms are to face disciplinary action if they do not abide by a potential requirement to publish data about complaints they receive – as research reveals that more than 90% of consumers want to see more transparency.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 14th December 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Tribunal berates “careless and disrespectful approach” of SRA and solicitors it was prosecuting – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has criticised both the Solicitors Regulation Authority and two former directors of a Preston law firm for their “careless and disrespectful approach” in applying for approval of an ‘agreed outcome’ only a day before their hearing.’

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Legal Futures, 29th November 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SDT issues unprecedented rebuke of SRA over Locke Lord case comments – Legal Futures

Posted November 13th, 2017 in fines, law firms, media, news, privacy, Solicitors Regulation Authority, tribunals by sally

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has made unprecedented public criticism of the Solicitors Regulation Authority over how it presented last week’s decision to fine US law firm Locke Lord a record £500,000.’

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Legal Futures, 13th November 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Regulators can be taken to employment tribunals, Supreme Court rules – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Solicitors claiming wrongful dismissal can potentially hold the Solicitors Regulation Authority to account in the employment tribunal following a Supreme Court judgment which clarifies rules on bringing complaints against qualifications bodies. The long-running case Michalak v General Medical Council and others centred on a discrimination complaint brought against the medical regulator by Dr Ewa Michalak. The SRA intervened in support of the GMC.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 3rd November 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court grants injunction to stop former in-house solicitor acting against ex-employer – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has granted an injunction restraining a former in-house solicitor from acting in proceedings against her former employer, saying that even if she was aware of the danger of disclosing confidential information, she might still subconsciously use it.’

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Legal Futures, 30th October 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA guidance to stop many council legal trading activities “dead in their tracks” – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority last month published long-awaited guidance on a key section of the Legal Services Act 2007 that it is claimed will stop many local authorities’ legal services trading activities “dead in their tracks”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th October 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Revealed: BSB set to expand price transparency obligation beyond public access to referral Bar – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) will say today that new rules on publishing prices should extend to referral barristers as well as those handling public access work.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd October 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Society lashes SRA over “new Wild West” of legal regulation – Legal Futures

Posted September 28th, 2017 in Law Society, legal services, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The Law Society has hit out at the latest raft of reforms proposed yesterday by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and particularly the idea of granting ‘freelance’ solicitors the ability to deliver reserved legal services without being either a registered sole practitioner or part of a law firm.’

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Legal Futures, 28th September 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA ushers in ‘Uberisation’ of legal services – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The SRA today signalled what it called the “Uberisation” of the legal market with the advent of the freelance solicitor.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 27th September 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

SDT finally publishes Leigh Day judgment – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal today published the long-awaited judgment on human rights firm Leigh Day and three of its lawyers.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 26th September 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Report: “huge unmet legal need for unbundled services across the board” – Legal Futures

Posted September 6th, 2017 in legal services, negligence, news, reports, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘There is a massive demand for unbundled – or limited scope – legal services, not just in family law but in almost all areas of legal practice, according to a report on unbundling.’

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Legal Futures, 6th September 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Tribunal urges SRA to reconsider advice on solicitors entering sexual relationships with clients – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) should reconsider the advice it gives to solicitors who enter into sexual relationships with clients, a tribunal has said as it fined one £8,500 for the conflict of interest such a relationship caused.’

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Legal Futures, 4th September 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Ministers ‘undermined law’ over Iraq war crimes allegations – The Guardian

‘The government has been accused of undermining the rule of law by putting pressure on an independent regulator in its action against a legal firm pursuing claims of human rights abuses involving British troops in Iraq.’

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The Guardian, 22nd July 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judges “left uneasy” by professionals challenging regulators as litigants in person – Legal Futures

‘Judges are “left uneasy” by professionals presenting their own challenges to regulators as litigants in person (LIPs) and ignoring the “best points” available to them, the High Court has heard.’

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Legal futures, 21st July 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk