Latest news
Three-way regulator co-operation leads to barrister being disbarred
The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner has praised the BSB and SRA for their co-operation in shutting down an advice firm and having the barrister who supervised it disbarred.
Medical negligence specialist firm becomes employee-owned
A law firm specialising in medical negligence has embraced employee ownership, giving the staff a “less risky future” at a time of uncertainty in the sector.
Law firm fined £46k for AML control failures
A Coventry law firm has been fined more than £46,000 for failing to have proper anti-money laundering procedures in place, one of the largest such penalties to date.
Law firms “need WhatsApp policies” when advising asylum clients
WhatsApp has become the “preferred communications tool” for law firms handling asylum work, but most lack a “clear, written usage policy”, the SRA has said.
Review body warns on quality of judges as it calls for 6% pay rise
The Senior Salaries Review Body has expressed its “unease” at a “long-term decline” in quality ratings for new district and circuit judges as it recommended a 6% pay rise across the bench.
Four guilty of coroner kidnap plot based on pseudo-legal ideas
A group of people who wanted to kidnap and ‘punish’ a coroner, using pseudo-legal concepts that have been rubbished by the courts, have been found guilty of multiple offences.
No relief from sanctions for solicitor who demanded referral fee
The High Court has refused relief from sanctions for a solicitor who claimed a profit share of £96,000 from a mortgage broker to whom he had referred a client.
SRA ordered to pay costs after “flawed” ban on non-solicitor
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ordered the SRA to pay costs of £5,000 after bringing a “flawed and misconceived” case against a non-solicitor.
High Court grants injunction to judge harassed by brother-in-law
The High Court has granted a final injunction to stop a district judge being harassed by his brother-in-law over a will.
LSB entitled to withhold email addresses of staff
The Legal Services Board is entitled to withhold the email addresses of its board of directors and staff, the Information Commissioner’s Office has ruled in response to an FoI request.
Blog
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.
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
