Regulation
Solicitor can present winding-up petition against “successor” firm
The High Court has upheld a decision to refuse a North London law firm’s application to restrain the solicitor who transferred his business over to it from presenting a winding-up petition.
Barrister who smacked colleague on bottom “thought she was consenting”
The male barrister fined for whispering suggestively to a younger female colleague and then smacking her on the bottom said he thought she was consenting because she did not openly object, it has emerged.
Supreme Court to consider costs orders against regulators
The Supreme Court is to consider whether costs should only be awarded against regulators in unsuccessful cases where there is good reason to make an order, it announced today.
“Inept” solicitor transferred money in breach of court order
A “seriously inept” solicitor who transferred money to another law firm’s client account, in breach of a court order that his firm should hold it, has been fined £8,000.
LeO “needs external help” to speed up complaints handling
The Legal Ombudsman’s proposed 19% budget increase is not justified, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers has said in calling for an external task force to help it deal with complaints more quickly.
Legal executive threatened witness in holiday sickness case
A chartered legal executive who made an “implied threat” of criminal proceedings in a bid to stop a witness testifying against her client has been banned from working for solicitors’ firms.
Barrister suspended for “sexual” touching without consent
A barrister who touched two individuals sexually has been suspended from practice for three months by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.
Lammy wades in over barrister’s “shameful” tweet
Shadow Lord Chancellor David Lammy yesterday condemned the barrister at the centre of a racism row over his comments about the Equality Act “empowering the stroppy teenager of colour”.
Uproar over barrister’s “stroppy teenager of colour” tweet
A barrister has come under fire from his own chambers and other barristers for tweeting that “The Equality Act undermines school discipline by empowering the stroppy teenager of colour”.
Fines for partners who charged clients for indemnity insurance
Three partners have been fined for charging conveyancing clients for the firm’s indemnity insurance, as well as “variable sums” for filling out a simple standard form.
Blog
The cost of systemic failure and childbirth injuries
Recent reports show that the NHS has paid almost £3.5bn in medical claims around childbirth injuries over the past six years.
Mazur: when regulators make simple things complicated
What the last six months have shown is that supervision cannot be treated as a background compliance obligation quietly managed somewhere in a firm’s operational processes.
How unstoppable AI is reshaping UK legal practice
At a time when most technology innovation still flows from the US and China, UK lawtech is attracting growing international attention and capital.
