Latest news

A commercial barrister who was fined by a Bar disciplinary tribunal earlier this month for handling £5,000 of client money, faces suspension after a second tribunal found that he later handled a further £400,000 from another direct access client.

In his first major policy speech as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove will on Tuesday call for “urgent” reform of the criminal justice system as advocated by Lord Justice Leveson so that it does not just serve the wealthy.

The Bar Council has joined forces with the two Preston-based barristers behind the Direct Access Portal to relaunch it as the “go-to website” for consumers looking for a barrister. The portal will replace the Bar Council’s existing direct access register.

The Law Society recorded a £33m surplus last year, its annual report has shown, while former chief executive Des Hudson received a pay packet of £407,000 in his final year. However, the society has proposed retaining the practising certificate fee at £320.

Consumers are being misled by dubious practices in online reviews and endorsements, while more than half of buyers of services are swayed by them, according to an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The Legal Services Board has invoked its statutory power to set performance targets for the Office for Legal Complaints – the body that oversees the Legal Ombudsman – because of concerns that current targets are at risk of not being met and there are “inherent structural features [that] are likely to prevent significant improvements in performance being made”.

The Lord Chief Justice has highlighted the “very worrying trend” of few appointments to silk outside of London and the impact this may have on diversity on the bench. However, Lord Thomas also expressed hope that an upcoming competition for deputy High Court judges would deliver “the kind of pool [of candidates] we have never seen before”.

Legal regulators need to justify the continuing existence of their rules, and not wait for others to argue that they are not needed, the chief executive of the Legal Services Board has said. Richard Moriarty also urged the legal profession to “redouble” its efforts to innovate.

The prospect of a single regulator for the legal market has dimmed after the new chief executive of the Legal Services Board distanced himself from the idea. Richard Moriarty was giving his first interview since taking over from Chris Kenny in February.

The Ministry of Justice spent over £200m on consultants and temporary staff in the last financial year – a rise of almost £40m on the year before, it has emerged. Average sick days across the department have risen to over 10 for each member of staff.