Compliance & Regulation
LeO boss: Efforts to close complaints more quickly starting to work
Efforts to close cases more quickly are having a positive impact on the performance of the Legal Ombudsman, with an influx of new recruits set to speed up progress.
Solicitor struck off for lying to avoid paying legal aid debt
A solicitor who lied about not having a bank account or any income other than benefits to avoid having to repay a debt to the Legal Aid Agency (Lhas been struck off.
Ex-Mishcon partner accepts £17,500 fine for AML failures
The partner whose conduct contributed to the record £232,000 fine handed out to Mishcon de Reya has been fined £17,500 himself.
PM issues warning to oligarch lawyers as profession hits back at criticism
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned lawyers and others involved in “assisting corrupt oligarchs” that they will “pay a price” if they have undermined the interests of the UK.
Leading criminal law solicitor struck off over £100 “gift”
A leading criminal law solicitor has been struck off after asking a police station client to pay him £100 for travel costs and then claiming the money from the Legal Aid Agency.
LSB warns Bar Council over objections to “unreasonable” PCF rise
The Legal Services Board has approved a controversial 4.5% increase in the practising certificate fee for barristers, while warning the Bar Council over how it exercises its regulatory functions.
Truss: We’re looking to target law firm enablers of oligarchs
Efforts to target oligarchs will extend to those who enable them, like law firms, foreign secretary Liz Truss confirmed yesterday.
Ukraine war trains harsh spotlight on lawyers who act for oligarchs
Pressure to take action against law firms who act for oligarchs and companies connected with the Russian state is increasing from MPs, peers and journalists.
Solicitor who took £10,000 fee and then ghosted client struck off
A “disgraceful” solicitor who took half of his £20,000 fee for an immigration matter upfront but then did no work and ghosted his client has been struck off.
SDT, BTAS and other tribunals face hefty bills after appeal court ruling
The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling that a barrister who sat as a tribunal chair for the Nursing and Midwifery Council was a ‘worker’ and entitled to sickness and holiday pay.
Solicitor made up court wins for Facebook and practised unauthorised
A solicitor who practised without authorisation for four years and posted messages on Facebook about made-up cases her firm had supposedly won has been suspended from practice.
Solicitors convicted of fraud ordered to repay £205,000
Two solicitors who were jailed for stealing thousands of pounds from their firm have now been ordered to pay back more than £200,000.
QC among buyers of “less itchy” vegan wigs
A QC is among the first buyers of a new hemp wig, made without the traditional horse hair and developed by a vegan barrister, as the debate over whether wigs should be compulsory has heated up.
“Reckless” solicitor fined for role in scheme offering 1,000% return
A veteran solicitor who provided banking facilities through his client account for a scheme promising investors a 1,000% return has been fined.
Solicitor struck off after housing fraud conviction
A solicitor and former councillor jailed for housing fraud has accepted that he must now be struck off the roll. The former Duncan Lewis lawyer had been sentenced to 16 months.
Blog
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
