Latest news
Male partner who “harassed” junior female colleague agrees to come off roll
A solicitor who made “inappropriate” comments to a junior colleague has avoided the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal by agreeing to remove himself from the roll for at least three years.
Up to 70% of land register updates to be automated by 2025
Up to seven out of ten updates to the land register will be automated by March 2025, HM Land Registry has predicted, as it pledged to promote “a secure and inclusive digital system of conveyancing”.
Law Society “could support” in-house alternative to SIF
The Law Society has “no objection in principle” to the Solicitors Indemnity Fund being replaced by an in-house alternative run by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
CILEX private client firm becomes first to transfer to SRA
A private client firm in Norwich has become the first to transfer regulator from CILEX Regulation to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Decisions to suspend solicitors “should stay public” for extra three years
Decisions to suspend solicitors should stay in the public domain for three years after they return to work, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has argued.
Mayson: LSB’s ongoing competence push is “mission impossible”
The Legal Services Board is on a “mission impossible” in imposing an ongoing competence regime on the legal profession that will generate disproportionate costs for lawyers and consumers.
Need for specialist IP solicitors meets new “clear and compelling” costs test
A party that needed specialist intellectual property advice was justified in using lawyers who charged significantly above the guideline hourly rates, the High Court has decided.
SRA: Expected spike in claims over dubious schemes has not happened
Solicitors’ contributions to the SRA Compensation Fund will fall next year because an anticipated spike in the level of claims arising from dubious investment schemes did not transpire.
Labour urges immediate rights extension for associate prosecutors
The Labour Party has called for the role of associate prosecutors to be expanded so as to help reduce the massive backlog in criminal cases awaiting hearings.
In-house lawyers “should add regulatory rules to employment contracts”
In-house lawyers’ regulatory responsibilities, for example the SRA principles, should be written into their employment contracts to ensure their independence, the former head of LawtechUK has argued.
Blog
The growing importance of higher limits in personal ATE
While the personal litigation market is undergoing a period of significant change as claims become more complex, much of the ATE insurance market has remained relatively static.
The profession can play a greater role in improving access to justice
In this, the third blog of my series, I focus on what lawyers in the UK can do to improve access to justice through greater professional stewardship.
Does AI work for conveyancers? We asked those on the front line
What is the view on AI from conveyancers themselves? Based on a Dye & Durham’s roundtable discussion on AI, the answer is: it depends.
Reports
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