Regulation
SRA presses ahead with plan to cut compensation awards
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is pushing on with plans to cut the upper limit for Compensation Fund awards from £2m to £500,000, while modifying other proposals to reduce the cost of the scheme.
Bar regulator struggles with rise in complaints from public
The Bar Standards Board is struggling to cope with the rise in complaints from members of the public, missing its performance target by a big distance, its annual enforcement report has revealed.
Criminal legal aid solicitor struck off for accounts rule breaches
A solicitor has been struck off after nearly 40 years in practice after admitting that the difficulties of relying on payment from criminal legal aid work overwhelmed him.
Law firm wrong to cling onto client’s sale proceeds
A law firm should not have refused to hand over £330,000 from the sale of a house in South London for nearly four years despite having “reasonable grounds for suspicion” over the seller’s identity.
Insurance woes ground freelance solicitor network
A network for freelance solicitors that is “ready to launch immediately” cannot get off the ground because it cannot secure professional indemnity insurance, it has emerged.
Trainee solicitor jailed after rape convictions
A trainee solicitor who admitted multiple offences, including rape, committed in quick succession against two women in July 2019 was jailed last week for 14 years.
Partner failed to warn off-plan investors about risks
A partner who admitted acting recklessly in failing to warn investor clients about the risks involved in off-plan property development schemes has been fined £17,500 by a disciplinary tribunal.
Law Society attacks “massively uncertain” Mayson reforms
Reforms to the regulation of legal services proposed by an independent review would lead to a “massively uncertain and costly system”, the president of the Law Society has said.
Solicitor duped by ‘fake’ wife fined for failing to check ID
An experienced solicitor has been fined £20,000 for misconduct after being duped into accepting that a woman was who she said she was because he did not require documentary proof.
Solicitors’ group tip-off leads to activist’s conviction
A campaigner who used her email address as a committee member of the Solicitors International Human Rights Group to conduct unlawful immigration law work was convicted this week.
Blog
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.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
