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.’
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Legal Services Board, 7th July 2015

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Regina (Lumsdon and others) v Legal Services Board – WLR Daily

Regina (Lumsdon and others) v Legal Services Board [2015] UKSC 41; [2015] WLR (D) 270

‘The decision of the Legal Services Board to approve the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (“QASA”), introduced by the regulators to assess the performance of criminal advocates in England and Wales, complied with the requirements of article 9 of Parliament and Council Directive 2006/123/EC and regulation 14 of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2999), and was proportionate and lawful.’

WLR Daily, 24th June 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Solicitor jailed for role in £4.3m land-banking scam – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor has been jailed for five and a half years for his role in a £4.3m land-banking scam.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd June 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court rejects challenge to closure of ABS from solicitor who “lost ethical compass” – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has rejected a challenge to the closure of an alternative business structure by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). It was the first time an ABS closure decision has been tested in the High Court.’

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Legal Futures, 13th May 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Unnecessary ABS approval rules to be scrapped in latest regulation bonfire – Legal Futures

‘The rule which requires the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to approve the individuals who own companies that in turn own alternative business structures (ABSs) is set to be scrapped, it announced yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 17th April 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.’

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Legal Futures, 20th March 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

SRA overrides opposition to ditch insolvency regulation – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 13th, 2015 in consultations, insolvency, news, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority has ignored most respondents to its consultation on ceasing to regulate insolvency practitioners (IPs) and will press ahead with the plan.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Complaints to solicitors’ regulator over libel demands from Galloway’s lawyers – The Guardian

Posted March 4th, 2015 in damages, defamation, news, racism, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘Complaints have been sent to the Solicitors Regulation Authority by Twitter users who have received £6,000 libel demands from solicitors working for the MP George Galloway.’

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The Guardian, 4th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.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.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 10th February 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court grants SRA power to destroy millions of documents held after interventions – Legal Futures

Posted February 10th, 2015 in costs, documents, law firms, news, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The High Court has backed an application by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to destroy millions of documents seized from firms it has intervened in and had to store since, at significant cost to the profession.’

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Legal Futures, 10th February 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Judicial College to train foreign judges – for a fee – Litigation Futures

‘The Judicial College, which trains UK judges, has said that it intends to “introduce a charging scheme for the delivery of international training”.’

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Litigation Futures, 3rd February 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Lawyers and their Regulators: What Next? – Nicholas Lavender QC, Chairman of the Bar Council

Lawyers and their Regulators: What Next? (PDF)

Nicholas Lavender QC, Chairman of the Bar Council

The Bar Council, 24th November 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Rule out notion of costly, one-size-fits-all super-regulator, says Bar Council Chairman – The Bar Council

‘Constantly changing the regulatory regime for legal services is costly and lawyers need time to let the current regime bed in, the Bar Council chairman has said in a speech to regulators and prominent members of the legal sector.’

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The Bar Council, 25th November 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

A spectacularly Misleading Case – nested in a real one – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Hamblen J observed that “the facts…are so extraordinary that they could have come from one of A.P. Herbert’s “Misleading Cases”. Yes indeed. A solicitor decided to make up three years of litigation, writing some fake judgments, pretending to instruct barristers, and churning out fictitious correspondence.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 25th November 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

SRA takes 550 days from first report to refer solicitors to disciplinary tribunal – Legal Futures

‘The time taken between serious misconduct being reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and a referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) is 550 days, the regulator has revealed.’

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Legal Futures, 18th November 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB to “consider future” of Bar Professional Training Course – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) launched its ‘future Bar training’ programme this morning, which includes “considering the future of the Bar Professional Training Course” (BPTC).’

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Legal Futures, 31st October 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Will scrapping the CPD requirement reduce the quality of lawyers? – The Futures of Law

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has pledged to scrap its requirement for solicitors to complete 16 hours of continuing professional development (CPD), describing its existing system as little more than a “box ticking” exercise. The SRA believes revoking the current system will provide greater flexibility, but Nicholas Lakeland, partner and head of the employment and pensions team at Silverman Sherliker LLP, fears it may well lead to a real reduction in training.’

Full story

The Future of Law, 22nd October 2014

Source: www.blogs.lexisnexis.co.uk

Winehouse row coroner sanctioned by SRA – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 8th, 2014 in coroners, employment, inquests, news, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The coroner whose improper appointment of his wife led to the inquest into the death of singer Amy Winehouse being reheard has been sanctioned by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 7th October 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

SRA fines firm £2,000 for £2.5m stamp duty avoidance schemes – Legal Futures

Posted October 3rd, 2014 in fines, law firms, news, Solicitors Regulation Authority, stamp duty, tax avoidance by tracey

‘Leading Surrey firm Mundays has been fined £2,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for using stamp duty land tax (SDLT) avoidance schemes which saved clients over £2.5m.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd October 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Accountant’s reports safe from public exposure after FoI ruling – Legal Futures

‘The Law Society’s freedom of information adjudicator has rejected a bid to open up public access to accountant’s reports submitted to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.’

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Legal Futures, 20th August 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk