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Hundreds of crime lawyers have issued public refusals to attend hearings in evenings or at weekends as new figures show that backlogs in courts and tribunals were growing even before the coronavirus.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal rejected a quarter of the outcomes agreed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and defendants last year, its annual report has revealed.

Personal injury inquiries are still little over half of expected volumes, according to listed legal business NAHL, which has seen revenues drop by 21% in the first six months of the year.

Law firms need to have the courage to employ diverse and even abrasive characters who help disrupt the legal sector and ensure it does not fall behind other industries.

Lawyers acting for whistleblowers have told MPs and peers that they can feel intimidated to raise concerns over non-disclosure agreements because of the threat of retaliation.

The Legal Sector Workers Union has committed to backing legal action Bar professional training course students sitting exams next month may want to bring against the Bar Standards Board.

Larger law firms face a new levy of £100-200 per £1m of revenue to support the government’s economic crime plan, under proposals outlined by the Treasury yesterday.

The Lord Chancellor has dropped a widely criticised plan to replace juries in some trials with a judge and two magistrates, while the head of HMCTS said the pandemic has “proved the case” for court reform.

A service offering direct access barristers to handle all the stages of a small claim – including whiplash cases from next year – for a fixed fee of £999 has gone live.

The Covid-19 pandemic should “accentuate the pipeline of recruitment and acquisition opportunities” for fast-growing listed law firm Knights, it said today.