Latest news
In-house barrister elected Bar vice-chair for first time
The first woman barrister at the Crown Prosecution Service to take silk, and only the fourth person at the CPS overall, has been elected as vice-chair of the Bar Council.
Mahmood downgrades recommended 4.75% pay rise for judiciary
The Lord Chancellor yesterday rejected the recommended pay rise for judges – but they will still receive more than the government told the Senior Salaries Review Body it could afford.
Merricks funder: £23m profit on £46m investment “not reasonable”
The litigation funder in the Mastercard collective action has hit out at the CAT’s decision to allow it a £23m profit on its seven-year, £46m investment in the case.
Stamp duty deadline pushed conveyancing fees to “all-time high”
Conveyancing fees hit an “all-time high” in the first quarter of this year in the run-up to the stamp duty deadline, with the average figure up by almost 12% on the same period last year.
Arbitral tribunal panels lacking in diversity, IBA finds
There is “a strong consensus” that ethnic diversity is good for arbitrations – but little evidence of this being reflected in the make-up of panels, a report for the IBA has found.
High Court rejects bias claim against SDT panel chair
The High Court has rejected claims of bias against the chair of a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal panel made as part of long-running proceedings against a major City law firm.
Defendant law firms “protecting litigation work” with credit hire row
Defendant law firms are making a lot of misleading “noise” about inflation in credit hire rates because “they make their money from litigation”, the CHO has argued.
Mastercard settlement “very far from a success”, says tribunal
The Competition Appeal Tribunal yesterday described the £200m settlement of the landmark opt-out collective action brought against Mastercard as “very far from a success”.
High Court grants law firm injunction to ban man from office
The High Court has granted leading firm Clyde & Co an injunction banning a man from its Birmingham office after his repeated visits made staff feel “vulnerable and anxious”.
NAO: Family justice at risk from “inconsistent political leadership”
A “lack of consistent political leadership” – because of the high turnover of ministers chairing the Family Justice Board – has contributed to the continuing court delays facing families.
Blog
The SRA and privileged material – this is not the end
All disclosure to the SRA must now exclude privileged material, which will not only hamper investigations but also cause additional work for firms providing disclosure.
Legal Ombudsman fee reforms risk widening the justice gap
Charging firms simply because a complaint moves through the process weakens the present connection between fees and fault. It could also encourage firms to settle for commercial reasons.
Why upfront information could transform home buying
The success of upfront property information will depend on more than simply making the information available.
Reports
Associates
