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The Bar Council has joined forces with the two Preston-based barristers behind the Direct Access Portal to relaunch it as the “go-to website” for consumers looking for a barrister. The portal will replace the Bar Council’s existing direct access register.

The Law Society recorded a £33m surplus last year, its annual report has shown, while former chief executive Des Hudson received a pay packet of £407,000 in his final year. However, the society has proposed retaining the practising certificate fee at £320.

Consumers are being misled by dubious practices in online reviews and endorsements, while more than half of buyers of services are swayed by them, according to an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The Legal Services Board has invoked its statutory power to set performance targets for the Office for Legal Complaints – the body that oversees the Legal Ombudsman – because of concerns that current targets are at risk of not being met and there are “inherent structural features [that] are likely to prevent significant improvements in performance being made”.

The Lord Chief Justice has highlighted the “very worrying trend” of few appointments to silk outside of London and the impact this may have on diversity on the bench. However, Lord Thomas also expressed hope that an upcoming competition for deputy High Court judges would deliver “the kind of pool [of candidates] we have never seen before”.

Legal regulators need to justify the continuing existence of their rules, and not wait for others to argue that they are not needed, the chief executive of the Legal Services Board has said. Richard Moriarty also urged the legal profession to “redouble” its efforts to innovate.

The prospect of a single regulator for the legal market has dimmed after the new chief executive of the Legal Services Board distanced himself from the idea. Richard Moriarty was giving his first interview since taking over from Chris Kenny in February.

The Ministry of Justice spent over £200m on consultants and temporary staff in the last financial year – a rise of almost £40m on the year before, it has emerged. Average sick days across the department have risen to over 10 for each member of staff.

The Government Legal Service has decided to open its lawyer job vacancies to fellows of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives for the first time. The first job being advertised is a £53,196 position as lawyer at HM Revenue & Customs.

The new legal business set up by the founder of Compass Costs – who became head of Quindell Legal Services after it bought Compass – is set to buy two law firms as it expands rapidly as part of a strategy to “take the greed out of the market” by going head to head with claims management companies and other work providers.