Latest news
Absence of shielding QC “does not make in-person hearing unfair”
A QC’s inability to attend court in person because she is shielding, unlike the other counsel in a case, will not make the hearing unfair, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
SRA to beef up AML monitoring of law firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to beef up its monitoring of firms’ anti-money laundering efforts and begin a review of continuing competence, its draft 2020/21 business plan has revealed.
McFarlane clears way for more remote family hearings
The president of the Family Division has cleared the way for more remote hearings, including those where parents and children appear as witnesses, by revising the guidance for judges.
Law Society maintains £134m budget for next year
The cost of practising as a solicitor is set to fall marginally as a result of lower compensation fund contributions, while the Law Society’s £134m budget for 2020-21 remains virtually static.
New instructions “returning to pre-lockdown levels”
New instructions have been running at about 70% of the pre-lockdown level over the past two and a half months, but there are definite signs of a revival, with conveyancing roaring back, data shows.
LSB eyes major changes to legal regulation
The Legal Services Board is set to conduct a major review on the extent to which it can reform the regulatory regime – including the reserved legal activities – using its existing powers.
Most Scottish solicitors report mental health problems
Most solicitors and their staff north of the border have experienced mental health problems, a major survey by the Law Society of Scotland and mental health charity See Me has found.
SRA to press ahead with launch of SQE in autumn 2021
The Covid-19 crisis will not stop the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam in September 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said as it published the exam’s final design.
Publishing data could counter “gender brief gap”
Solicitors and barristers should publish data on which advocates are instructed in certain criminal cases as a way to counter the “gender brief gap”, a QC has suggested.
Barrister sanctioned for shouting and pulling faces at judge
A senior junior barrister has been reprimanded and fined £1,000 for her “rude and unprofessional” behaviour in court, including shouting and pulling faces at a judge.
Blog
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.
Recruitment, retention and reward in the legal accounts world
Understanding the legal finance market is important – not just for those actively involved in it day-to-day but also for leaders within law firms.
