Regulation
SRA slapped with costs order over failed prosecution
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has taken the unusual step of making a costs order against the Solicitors Regulation Authority for the “grave errors” it made in a case it eventually had to withdraw.
Personal injury lawyer who “wrecked lives” is struck off
A personal injury lawyer who inflated costs, put false information before a court, misled her insurer and “wrecked lives” has been struck off.
Accountants ponder new push to regulate legal services
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales is considering a new push to regulate reserved legal activities, three years after its last attempt was knocked back.
Lawyers and accountants at odds over economic crime levy
Solicitors and accountants are at odds over whether the new economic crime levy should be calculated by reference to their income or the number of suspicious activity reports they made.
SRA seeks charitable status in Law Society split
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is applying for charitable status as part of becoming a distinct legal entity within the Law Society Group, it has emerged.
Barrister suspended for breaking man’s jaw with hockey stick
A barrister convicted of grievous bodily harm after breaking a hotel receptionist’s jaw with a hockey stick while drunk has been suspended by a tribunal – having qualified as a solicitor in the meantime.
Price transparency “dispelling fears” about cost of legal services
The rules on price transparency are dispelling consumers’ pre-conceptions that legal services are unaffordable and many are now shopping around online, new research has claimed.
Solicitors to have vote on reform of Law Society council
Solicitors are to be balloted on changes to the make-up of Law Society council and limits on how long members can sit on it, at a cost of about £30,000, following a divided AGM yesterday.
LSB “forced” accountants to withdraw from legal services regulation
It was “fundamentally wrong” for Legal Services Board rules to force the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants to withdraw from legal services, another accountancy body has argued.
High Court upholds order to stop barrister from acting
The High Court has upheld a highly unusual order prohibiting counsel from continuing to act for the father in a bitter child custody dispute because of acrimony between her and the mother.
Blog
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
