Regulation
“Less talk, more action” needed to tackle female barrister crisis
There needs to be less talk and more action to tackle the “crisis” of female criminal law barristers leaving the profession, the head of the Criminal Bar Association has argued.
CA: “Bully” judge forced mother to agree to care orders
A judge effectively bullied a mother into agreeing to interim care orders for her children against her wishes, the Court of Appeal has found. The “oppressive behaviour” meant there was not a fair hearing.
Court refuses to overturn solicitor’s sole practitioner ban
The High Court has rejected a solicitor’s appeal against a decision to ban him from working as a sole practitioner, after a tribunal found he had been “sloppy, lazy and careless”.
Supervising solicitor “told paralegal to lie” to barrister
An experienced personal injury paralegal who lied to a barrister and legal expenses insurer “on instruction from her supervising solicitor” has been prohibited from working for law firms without permission.
SRA defends tribunal over bullied whistleblower
The chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has spoken out in defence of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over its decision to strike off bullied whistleblower Emily Scott.
“Web sweep” of 500 firms to check prices are published
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to carry out randomised “web sweeps” of around 500 law firms over the next few months to check they are publishing fees for certain consumer and business transactions.
Unqualified adviser admits acting for 200 clients
A man who admitted acting for 200 clients who wrongly believed he was qualified to give them immigration law advice is one of three such offenders to be sentenced recently.
Four QCs have switched gender identity, BSB report reveals
Four QCs and 24 other barristers say their gender is no longer the same as that featured on their original birth certificates, a report by the Bar Standards Board has found.
Firm sent letters with Latin phrases despite client’s learning difficulty
A law firm sent a vulnerable client letters full of Latin and technical phrases, despite being repeatedly told the client had a learning difficulty and needed communications to be in plain English, according to the Legal Ombudsman.
LSB closes Law Society investigation after censure prompts reform
The Legal Services Board has closed its investigation into the Law Society’s governance arrangements – which led to an unprecedented public censure last year – after a series of reforms.
Blog
Why later-life divorce requires a distinct professional framework
Later-life divorce, often described as ‘silver splitter’ or ‘grey divorce’ cases, is no longer a marginal feature of family law practice. It challenges long-standing assumptions about how divorce work is done.
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
