Latest news
Government awards cash for Covid lawtech innovation
Technology to support remote working, open justice, communication with clients and online will signing are among businesses to received government funding supporting Covid-related innovation.
Number of complaints received by law firms on the rise
There has been a 9% increase in the number of complaints to law firms last year, but they continue to resolve eight out of 10 themselves, according to official statistics.
Conveyancing paralegal banned for trying to cover up mistake
A conveyancing paralegal who tried to cover up her mistake in not sending an updated plan to the buyers’ solicitor has been banned from working in the profession.
Revealed: Most barristers failing to comply with transparency rules
Little more than a third (37%) of barristers, chambers and firms regulated by the Bar Standards Board are fully complying with its rules on price and service transparency, it has emerged.
Assistant turned senior partner let struck-off solicitor maintain control
An assistant solicitor who took over a firm after the principal was struck off allowed her to keep practising under her maiden name, use the firm’s office and be sole signatory on its bank accounts.
TV personalities withdraw libel claim against barrister
TV personalities Rachel Riley and Tracy-Ann Oberman have withdrawn their defamation claim against a London barrister who retweeted an article about them.
Justice committee launches inquiry into court backlog
MPs have today launched an inquiry to investigate delays in the court system and what should be done to clear the backlog of cases amid concerns in particular for the criminal courts.
Exclusive: Barrister tribunal chair was ‘worker’, judge rules
A barrister who sits as a tribunal chair for the Nursing and Midwifery Council is a ‘worker’ and entitled to holiday pay, an employment tribunal has ruled, opening the door to thousands of other claims.
‘Deepfake’ warning over online courts
Video manipulation software, including ‘deepfake’ technology, poses problems for remote courts in verifying evidence and that litigants or witnesses are who they say they are, a report has warned.
Delays spiral and case closures plummet at LeO
The Legal Ombudsman is taking five months just to pass any new complaints to an investigator as it struggles to cope with the impact of Covid-19.
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.
