Iraq lawyer Phil Shiner struck off over misconduct – BBC News
‘A human rights lawyer who brought abuse claims against UK troops after the Iraq War has been struck off for misconduct.’
BBC News, 2nd February 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: solicitors
Phil Shiner’s legal firm ‘made £1.6m with improper fee deal over Iraq troop abuse claims’ – Daily Telegraph
‘A disgraced human rights lawyer accused of hounding British troops earned his firm more than £1.6m from an improper deal carving up fees from pursuing abuse claims against British troops, a tribunal has heard.’
Daily Telegraph, 31st February 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Former judge and assistant jailed after stealing more than £700,000 – The Guardian
‘A former judge and his law firm assistant have been jailed for six years each after siphoning off almost £700,000 from clients to hide debts, pay for holidays in Barbados and bet on races at Cheltenham.’
The Guardian, 27th January 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Publishing prices: SRA to start with divorce, wills, conveyancing and simple SME work – Legal Futures
‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is planning to require law firms to publish their fees for services such as divorce, wills or conveyancing, it has emerged.’
Legal Futures, 26th January 2017
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Law lecturers flay SQE plan for creating “inferior solicitors” – Legal Futures
‘The Bar will “truly be able to say that barristers are better educated in the law than solicitors” if the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) presses ahead with its reform of education, law lecturers have said in an excoriating response to the regulator’s consultation.’
Legal Futures, 20th January 2017
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
District judge conned wealthy clients to live luxurious lifestyle – Daily Telegraph
‘A district judge conned wealthy clients to live a luxurious lifestyle and lied to his accountant who then killed himself when he realised he had been party to the crime.’
Daily Telegraph, 19th January 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
SDT throws out surveillance allegations against News of the World solicitor – Legal Futures
‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has thrown out charges against a solicitor for Rupert Murdoch’s News International accused of unreasonably advising and commissioning surveillance of two high-profile lawyers bringing phone hacking cases.’
Legal Futures, 19th January 2017
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Law Society warns solicitors may be damaged by Brexit – Legal Futures
‘US law firms will have less incentive to employ UK-qualified lawyers as a way to access European markets and the UK solicitor title could become less desirable as a result of Brexit, the Law Society has warned.’
Legal Futures, 16th January 2017
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Justice denied: the damning results of the latest report on the impact of legal aid cut – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
‘Secretary of State for Justice, Liz Truss, recently announced that the government would soon confirm the time-table for the post legislative review of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). There has been growing pressure on ministers for some time to announce this (see “Back to the drawing board”, 166 NLJ 7698 13 May 2016, p 6). The Legal Action Group (LAG) hopes that the review will be used as an opportunity by the still relatively new team at the top of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to look at funding the provision of early advice in civil legal cases.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 11th January 2017
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Government forecast on impact of PI reforms “skewed against lawyers”, say economists – Legal Futures
‘The government’s own assessment of the impact of its planned personal injury reforms “makes the implicit assumption that solicitors, and the civil justice system as a whole, produce no benefits to society”, according to independent economists.’
Legal Futures, 9th January 2017
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Privilege – Closing the Stable Door – Zenith PI Blog
‘Everyone knows that the privilege of communications between client and lawyer is a fundamental principle of English Common Law. But there has been some uncertainty as to what happens if the privilege is waived for the purpose of some litigation. That, it seems to me, is clearly dealt with by the Court of Appeal in the recent case of Eurasian Natural Resources Corp Ltd v Dechert LLP [2016] 1WLR 5027.’
Zenith PI blog, 3rd January 2017
Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com
Finance and Divorce Update, December 2016 – Family Law Week
‘Sue Brookes, Senior Associate for Mills & Reeve LLP analyses the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during November 2016.’
Family Law Week, 3rd December 2016
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
Cold calling, whiplash reform and IPT – Autumn Statement angers claimant lawyers – Legal Futures
‘Claimant personal injury lawyers have been left questioning why the government was prepared to announced in yesterday’s Autumn Statement that it is to ban cold-calling in relation to pensions, but not to stop it in personal injury – and whether Chancellor Philip Hammond let slip that the whiplash reforms are already a done deal.’
Legal Futures, 24th November 2016
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
New-build ground rent scandal could spark legal battles – The Guardian
‘With thousands of homebuyers caught out by rapidly rising rents, the solicitors they used may face claims of professional negligence.’
The Guardian, 19th November 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
High Court: Time to consider lowering burden of proof in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal – Legal Futures
‘It is time to consider lowering the burden of proof used by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) from the criminal to the civil standard, Sir Brian Leveson, the president of the Queen’s Bench Division has said.’
Legal Futures, 11th November 2016
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
CA upholds refusal to grant relief to solicitors who served witness statements late – Litigation Futures
‘Solicitors who served witness statements two months late cannot call any witnesses at trial after the Court of Appeal upheld the first instance judge’s decision to refuse relief from sanctions.’
Litigation futures, 14th November 2016
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
Solicitor who lost his practice cleared to sue CPS and police for malicious prosecution – Legal Futures
‘The High Court has given the green light to a solicitor to pursue claims against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and South Wales Police (SWP) for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office.’
Legal Futures, 15th November 2016
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
