Latest news
LCJ uses Nightjack case to warn lawyers who mislead court of “exemplary punishments”
Lawyers who mislead the court will end up with “exemplary and deterrent” punishments, the Lord Chief Justice has warned. Lord Thomas was speaking after Alastair Brett, former legal manager at Times Newspapers, had limited success in appealing an SDT ruling.
Fairpoint lauds "unique opportunity" presented by Legal Services Act
The Legal Services Act has presented “a unique opportunity to create more competitive consumer offerings”, according to the company that bought national law firm Simpson Millar earlier this year.
We need more independence, BSB director says
Dr Vanessa Davies, director of the Bar Standards Board (BSB), has made it clear that the regulator will push for more independence in the future.
High Court judge: law firms bringing “meritless” judicial reviews will be referred to SRA
Solicitors who bring “meritless” immigration judicial reviews could be referred to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) even on the first occasion, a High Court judge has warned.
Fine for paralegal who moved firms and took sensitive data with him
A paralegal who took sensitive information from his employer when moving to a rival law firm was convicted of a criminal offence under the Data Protection Act this week.
First sanction for firm that failed to close after extended indemnity period
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published its first decision fining a law firm for not closing down properly after failure to secure indemnity cover by the end of the extended policy period (EPP).
LSB chair: regulators need to help push down cost of legal services
More needs to be done to reduce the cost of legal services to meet the needs of small businesses and people who are neither wealthy nor eligible for legal aid, the chairman of the Legal Services Board has said in his first public speech.
MPs approve probate and conveyancing rights for legal executives
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) has won the approval of the House of Commons to grant rights to conduct reserved probate and conveyancing work.
Quindell claims libel “victory”
Outsourcing giant Quindell has claimed victory in a libel action against Gotham City Research, an American company which triggered a collapse in Quindell’s share price by publishing a highly critical report.
SRA stands firm on indemnity cover cut
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has hit back at criticism from the Legal Services Board (LSB) over its plans to cut the minimum compulsory cover for law firms from £2m to £500,000.
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.
