Solicitors

A third judge removed from the bench for watching pornography on judicial IT equipment has admitted not telling the Solicitors Regulation Authority about it when applying for a practising certificate shortly afterwards.

The government yesterday accepted recommendations for stronger fining powers for the Solicitors Regulation Authority, a lower burden of proof before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, and the need to introduce further measures to discourage ‘late’ personal injury claims, in the next stage of its crackdown on fraudulent behaviour.

A barrister turned solicitor has been disbarred 10 years after he was struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. He did not tell the Bar about the decision and the Bar Standards Board only became aware of it last year when Lloyd Aneke applied for restoration to the roll of solicitors.

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has joined the Solicitors Regulation Authority in opposing a ban on professional McKenzie Friends. The LSB said the judiciary had not explained why a ban was necessary, what harm it would address or what the consequences might be for consumers.

Law Society spending on non-regulatory ‘permitted purposes’, such as law reform and practice support, surged by £6.3m in the four years between 2010 and 2014, research by the Legal Services Board has revealed. The research was part of the LSB’s investigation into the cost of legal services regulation.

One of three judges removed from the bench last year for viewing pornography from a work computer, along with another who resigned before he was removed, have accepted rebukes from the Solicitors Regulation Authority for their conduct.

A ‘fake’ lawyer and three non-solicitor staff who have taken money from their firms have received banning orders from the Solicitors Regulation Authority. All are now subject to so-called section 43 orders, which prevent non-solicitors from being employed or remunerated by solicitors and their firms without permission from the regulator.

Richard Barnett, the senior partner of collapsed conveyancing firm Barnetts, has attacked what he describes as the “incredibly unfair” disciplinary regime for solicitors. Mr Barnett lost an appeal against his striking off at the High Court earlier this week.

The full scale of the allegations of misconduct against law firm Leigh Day, senior partner Martyn Day and partner Sapna Malik were published on Friday, including claims that they had made allegations over the British Army’s conduct in Iraq when it was “improper” to do so.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined two more law firms for advising on conveyancing transactions in which clients were party to schemes to avoid the payment of almost £8m in stamp duty land tax – for which the firms received £160,000 between them on top of their regular fees.