Compliance & Regulation
Bid to improve consistency of sanctions for sexual and racial misconduct
The Legal Services Board is aiming to reduce inconsistencies in the sanctions imposed across the legal profession in cases such as sexual misconduct, racial harassment and bullying.
Barrister suspended for lewd comments to mini-pupil fails in appeal
The High Court has rejected an appeal from a criminal law barrister suspended for six months by a Bar disciplinary tribunal for lewd comments to a female mini-pupil.
Accountancy body refused permission to exit probate regulation
The Legal Services Board has refused to ‘de-designate’ an accountancy body as a probate regulator over concerns that its members are now practising unregulated.
Solicitor “failed to notice” client’s judicial review had been struck out
A solicitor who admitted “not having noticed” that his client’s judicial review had been struck out and not working on the case for almost two years has been fined £12,500.
Race disparity remains as first SQE results are unveiled
The results for the first ever Solicitors Qualifying Examination assessment showed that, as with the legal practice course, race is a major factor in success. Some 53% passed in all.
High-profile City litigator fails in appeal against strike-off
A former high-profile City litigator has failed in his appeal against being struck off for using a client’s divorce settlement to fund his ventures to pursue digital dispute resolution.
Law firms helping oligarchs suppress criticism “a cancer”, says MP
The government needs to “end the cancer” of high-end law firms selling “intimidation services” to oligarchs and others trying to use the legal system to silence journalists and critics, MPs heard yesterday.
Lawyer jailed after defying order to hand over firm’s files to SRA
A lawyer has been jailed for 13 months after showing a “brazen disregard” for his regulator by failing to hand over his firm’s files to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Partners fined for letting non-lawyer take control of group litigation
Two partners in a former City law firm have each been fined £7,500 for allowing a non-lawyer to have sole and unsupervised conduct of multi-jurisdictional group litigation involving 1,500 clients.
Lawyers hits back at attacks by international bodies on privilege
Multiple international bodies are seeking to undermine both legal professional privilege and the independent regulation of the profession, a global lawyers group has warned.
Blog
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
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.
