Compliance & Regulation
BSB to probe if solicitors give clients choice when instructing barristers
The Bar Standards Board is to gather evidence from solicitors on how they choose a barrister, including whether they offer their clients a choice – or even take account of a client’s views.
Solicitor judge misappropriated £288,000 from law firms
A head of commercial property and deputy district judge has been struck off for taking over £288,000 from two Essex law firms and their clients over a period of 16 years.
Partner who used client’s estate to buy a house struck off
A solicitor who used money from a client’s estate to buy a house he then lived in has been struck off, with the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal saying the public would be “horrified” by his actions.
CILEX calls in ex-LSB chief as it considers whether to change regulator
CILEX has commissioned Chris Kenny, the original chief executive of the Legal Services Board, to review whether it should continue delegating its regulatory responsibilities to CILEx Regulation.
LSB approves scrapping of Bar student aptitude test
The Bar Standards Board can go ahead with its plan to scrap the Bar course aptitude test, the Legal Services Board has decided – even though it may have led to a fall in course failure rates.
Insurance and client capability are “main barriers” to unbundling
The availability of professional indemnity insurance and the capability of clients are the main concerns for law firms looking at unbundled services, research has indicated.
Scotland “polarised” on single legal services regulator
Views on whether Scotland should introduce a single legal regulator remain polarised, with consumers backing “radical changes”, while lawyers argue that it would undermine their independence.
Stop advising clients to pay cyber-ransoms, lawyers told
Some lawyers are wrongly advising clients to pay ransoms when they fall victim to cyber-attacks, the National Cyber Security Centre and Information Commissioner’s Office have warned.
Resolution embraces ‘one lawyer, one couple’ approach to divorce
Family lawyers group Resolution is to start promoting the ‘one lawyer, two clients’ model for divorce that both law firms and unregulated providers are starting to offer.
Licensed conveyancer firms face tougher rules on diversity
Law firms regulated by Council for Licensed Conveyancers face new rules designed to make sure they deliver data on staff diversity and report complaints of discrimination and harassment.
Blog
Awaab’s Law phase 2: New hazards council tenants can now claim for
The conversation on housing disrepair is moving beyond damp and mould alone. With the rollout of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, the scope of issues covered is expanding significantly,
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
