Compliance & Regulation
BSB considers regulating intermediaries after Absolute Barrister collapse
The Bar Standards Board is considering whether intermediaries to direct access barristers should come within its regulatory control following the demise of Absolute Barrister.
Immigration solicitor certified LPA without checking client’s capacity
An immigration solicitor certified a lasting power of attorney for a walk-in client without checking his capacity, allowing the man’s son and attorney to misuse some of his money.
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.
Blog
Reorientation in the AI era must begin with the client
Much of the discussion about AI in the legal industry focuses on technology: which tools to adopt and which tasks might get automated. But this misses the deeper story.
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.
