Compliance & Regulation
Conditions removed from work of solicitor suspended over drugs
A City solicitor suspended for a year after a second police caution for possessing cocaine has had conditions on his return to practice removed.
Solicitor fined for failing to spot money laundering red flags
A solicitor who failed to spot red flags for potential fraud/money laundering while acting on two loans worth £464,000 has been fined £15,000.
Barrister disbarred for sexual harassment was in “position of power”
A senior male barrister who sexually harassed a female junior shortly out of pupillage “must have appreciated that he was in a position of power and importance” to her.
Solicitor jailed for using drug money to pay mortgage struck off
A solicitor jailed for 26 months last year for using drug money generated by his twin brother to pay a mortgage has been struck off.
Mazur appeal lawyer sets out Court of Appeal battleground
The Court of Appeal hearing the Mazur case will have to decide between statutory interpretation and “the contextual argument”, the solicitor bringing the appeal said last week.
SRA hands out £550k in AML fines in three months
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has levied fines totalling £550,000 in the past three months on law firms that breached basic anti-money laundering rules.
Highest-earning barristers set to pay more to practise
The Bar Council and Bar Standards Board are looking to increase the cost of practising for barristers by 4% in the coming year, with a new band for those earning £2m.
Reports to BSB about barrister conduct jump by 24%
There has been a 24% spike in reports about barristers to their regulator this year, according to new figures from the Bar Standards Board.
LSB sets out new approach to improving equality and diversity
Safeguarding the wellbeing of those facing enforcement action should be part of legal regulators’ duty to support equality and diversity, the Legal Services Board said yesterday.
Consolidation laid bare as number of law firms falls below 9,000
The number of law firms in England and Wales has dipped below 9,000 for the first time in recent memory after dropping by nearly 2,000 over the past 15 years.
Law Society calls for urgent SRA advice on impact of Mazur on AI
The SRA needs to provide urgent advice on how artificial intelligence can be used in litigation in compliance with the Mazur ruling, the Law Society has said.
Court of Appeal agrees to hear “important” Mazur appeal
The Court of Appeal has granted CILEX permission to appeal against the Mazur judgment, saying it “raises an important point of practice”.
LSCP: “Regulatory failure” behind Mazur demands systemic review
The “chaos” caused by the Mazur ruling demands “a courageous, full-scale review of the regulatory framework” in response, the chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel has argued.
Solicitor struck off 16 years ago fails in bid to return to roll
A solicitor struck off 16 years ago for multiple breaches of the accounts rules, several of them dishonest, has failed in his bid to return to the roll.
Tribunal rejects solicitor’s bid to overturn rebuke
A solicitor has failed in his appeal against a rebuke imposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for failing to comply with court costs orders.
Blog
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.
How unstoppable AI is reshaping UK legal practice
At a time when most technology innovation still flows from the US and China, UK lawtech is attracting growing international attention and capital.
Modern vehicles: new injury profiles and new legal challenges
As the number of electric vehicles on UK roads continues to grow year-on-year, it is important to address the risks that come with their increased adoption.
