Regulation
LeO “setting itself up to fail” with budget plans
The Legal Ombudsman is “setting itself up to fail” by proposing to give itself more work than it can cope with and asking for an “extraordinary high” budget increase of 19%.
Solicitor jailed for money laundering returns to profession
A solicitor who was jailed for four years for money laundering offences has been readmitted to the roll after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found he had been “totally rehabilitated”.
High Court: Law firm was not operating collective investment scheme
A law firm which did the conveyancing work on two failed off-plan housing developments was not operating an unregulated collective investment scheme, the High Court has ruled.
New practising fee rules will allow “more meaningful debate”
The Legal Services Board has introduced new rules to ensure legal regulators explain more clearly how they spend the money they raise through the compulsory levies on lawyers.
Twitter row barrister expelled by chambers – after he resigned
The barrister who caused a storm of outrage for tweeting that “The Equality Act undermines school discipline by empowering the stroppy teenager of colour” has been expelled from his chambers.
Solicitor who lied to client, SRA and insurers struck off
A solicitor who lied to her client about the progress of her case and then to the Solicitors Regulation Authority about it, and later to professional indemnity insurers, has been struck off.
Regulators join forces to pilot comparison and review options for firms
Three regulators are joining forces to pilot ways for law firms to engage better with comparison websites and online review platforms, starting with conveyancing and employment work.
Covid hits numbers at the Bar and starting pupillages
Covid has flattened the number of new practising barristers and hit pupillages hard, but there was a sharp rise in the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Solicitor who retrospectively witnessed signatures is fined £20,000
A solicitor who ‘witnessed’ the signatures of a client’s father that were already on property documents, without checking their authenticity, has been fined £20,000.
Review of sanctions for barristers guilty of sexual misconduct underway
The sanctions imposed on barristers found guilty of sexual misconduct are within current guidelines – but those guidelines are being reviewed, Bar authorities confirmed today.
Blog
Forms are evolving – and more interesting than you might think
I have spent much of my working life thinking about something most people would probably prefer not to think about at all: legal forms.
The questions that determine if the SRA’s client money reforms will work
Both reforms respond to real and well-evidenced gaps in the current framework. The SRA’s changes after consultation feedback shows it’s listening. But structural change on paper is only half the job.
The new metrics for success in conveyancing
While technology has made much of the conveyancing process faster, there remains a practical limit to how many matters anyone can manage while still keeping standards intact.
Reports
Associates
