Regulation
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.
Ethics worry with lawyers and lawtech firms “not speaking same language”
Solicitors are concerned that some new legal technology they buy does not take into account their professional rules and ethical duties because lawtech firms are “not speaking the same language”.
Bullying at the Bar “tolerated”, with pupils suffering most
Bullying, discrimination and harassment at the Bar is perceived to be tolerated “to a certain extent” due to its “adversarial, male-dominated culture and competitive nature”, new research has found.
Barristers on AG panels “should consider resigning”, says top QC
One of the country’s leading QCs has suggested that barristers on the Attorney General’s panels should consider resigning in protest at the government’s hostility to the law and lawyers.
Law Society “must show it listens to solicitors” about cost of practising
The Law Society and SRA need to do more to show that they take on board what solicitors have to say about the cost of practising, the Legal Services Board has warned.
“No excuse” for barrister’s positive discrimination jibe at judge
There can be “no excuse” for a barrister suggesting that a female Asian judge only secured her position as a result of positive discrimination, a Bar disciplinary tribunal has ruled.
Limit on Law Society council terms “essential for diversity”
A limit of 12 years on the period served by Law Society council members is “essential” to ensure the body “robustly represents the diverse profession of solicitors”, the society’s AGM will hear next week.
Race equality and inclusion in law firms “totally achievable”
Bonuses for managers could be made contingent on improvements in social mobility and the representation of minority ethnic people in law firms, it was suggested yesterday.
Bar Council: Positive action like ‘preferential briefing’ can aid diversity
Positive action – such as giving female barristers preferential access to briefs after returning to chambers from career breaks – can help address diversity problems, the Bar Council says.
Law Society conveyancing scheme a “barrier to competition”
The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme is a “market barrier”, blocking entry to non-solicitor law firms, the Competition and Markets Authority has been told.
Blog
Mentoring the next generation of litigation leaders
As a female lawyer, from the North, with a state school education, I understand the value of sharing perspectives, experiences and contacts.
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.
