Regulation
Solicitor who sued Lord Chancellor for £4.4m is fined by SDT
A solicitor who sued the Lord Chancellor for £4.4m after his legal aid contract was taken away has been fined £4,000 by a disciplinary tribunal.
Big CMCs to be hit hardest as FCA seeks £17m
The big CMCs will be hit hardest by fee increases planned by the Financial Conduct Authority to fund the £17m cost of their new regulatory regime.
Barrister suspended for High Court advocacy before and during pupillage
A barrister has been suspended for six months by a Bar disciplinary tribunal for acting as an advocate in the High Court before and during his pupillage.
Barrister who failed to give “unwelcome advice” suspended
A barrister who failed to give “unwelcome advice” to an “over-enthusiastic client” has been suspended for a month by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.
SRA bankrupts Blacker over unpaid costs
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has made struck-off solicitor Alan Blacker bankrupt over unpaid costs. Mr Blacker gained a measure of notoriety for using the title ‘Lord Harley’.
Barrister should not have been suspended for “robing room gossip”
An experienced barrister should not have been suspended for “mere gossip” in the robing rooms of Crown Courts, the High Court was told this week.
BSB will be “held to account” over poor criminal advocacy
The Bar Standards Board was told yesterday that it will be held to account over how it deals with poor-quality criminal advocacy after its decision to ditch QASA.
High Court backs bankrupt barrister in fees battle
Any fees not yet paid to a barrister at the time of his bankruptcy do not vest in his trustee in bankruptcy if they arise on a non-contractual basis, the High Court has ruled.
Barrister permanently banned from direct access work
A barrister already suspended multiple times by Bar disciplinary tribunals has been fined a total of £4,000 and permanently banned from direct access work.
SRA press ahead with “multiple solicitor brands”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has stuck to its guns on allowing solicitors to practise from unregulated firms and enabling freelance solicitors to do more than now.
Blog
Our vision for 2026: A shared approach to AML
We want to see law firms start taking AML compliance as seriously as it deserves. This means treating it not as a tick-box exercise or a procedural necessity, but as a serious part of company culture.
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.
