Compliance & Regulation
“Credible sanctions”: Bill to remove SRA fining cap for economic crime
Plans to remove the £25,000 cap on fines the Solicitors Regulation Authority can impose in cases of economic crime will enable it to sanction larger law firms properly, the government said.
BSB to test if review and comparison websites work for barristers
Four lawyer review and comparison websites have agreed to join a Bar Standards Board (BSB) pilot on whether they can work for barristers and their consumers.
SRA bans IT worker convicted of stealing hardware from law firm
An IT engineer with a serious gambling problem who stole 38 iPhones and 10 laptops worth £23,000 from a law firm has been banned from working in the profession.
Barrister “could and should” have stopped offensive tweets being sent
A barrister reprimanded for allowing a Twitter account to send “inappropriate and offensive” tweets to a colleague at the same chambers was not their author, a tribunal has confirmed.
SDT slams Khan’s “reprehensible” claim that jailing was good for profession
The SDT has labelled as “reprehensible” the argument by Sophie Khan that being jailed for contempt of court enhanced, rather than diminished, the reputation of the profession.
Solicitor struck off for parental consent affidavit deception
A solicitor who confirmed that two affidavits had been signed and sworn in her presence, when they had not been, has been struck off.
SRA rejects legal press request to reopen board meetings to scrutiny
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has rejected a request from Legal Futures and the Law Society Gazette to return to opening its board meetings to the public and press.
Lawyers should have “ethical obligation” to advise on climate risks
Lawyers should be ethically obliged to advise clients of the serious risks – legal or otherwise – of pursuing activities that risk exacerbating climate change.
BSB to use ‘marginalised by race’ as way to describe minority groups
The Bar Standards Board is to encourage those it regulates to use terms like ‘racially minoritised’ and ‘marginalised by race’ if they have to use collective language to describe ethnicity.
SRA to replace Solicitors Indemnity Fund with in-house scheme
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to replace the Solicitors Indemnity Fund next September with new indemnity arrangements that it will run itself.
Blog
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
Why this is the year for law firms to embrace generative AI
After more than a year of pilots, proofs of value and early experimentation, firms are increasingly embedding AI into day-to-day workflows.
Client account interest is not spare change
The proposed Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts scheme is being framed as a sensible, international, “tried and tested” way for the profession to help fund a justice system under strain.
