Compliance & Regulation
SLAPPs show limits of legal regulation, say MPs
The government needs to “look again” at the enforcement powers of the SRA to ensure it can deal with “lawyers who let down the reputation of the profession”, a minister said this week.
LeO’s planned case fees risk being seen “as punitive tool”
Plans by the Legal Ombudsman for big rises in the case fees it charges law firms risk creating the impression that they are “being used as a punitive tool”.
BSB reviewer sides with barrister over Good Law Project complaint
The Bar Standards Board’s independent reviewer has upheld its decision to reject the Good Law Project’s complaint against a barrister over her social media posts about a trans woman.
Solicitor struck off for lying about trying to hide client file
A newly qualified solicitor who asked a colleague to hide a client file so as to cover up her lack of work on an HM Land Registry application, has been struck off.
Revealed: PM Law collapse set to cost profession £30m
The SRA Compensation Fund is to pay out £30m to clients of collapsed Sheffield-based PM Law, it has emerged. It has contributed to the 78% increase in funding required.
Solicitor banned from COFA role over multiple rule breaches
A senior solicitor has been reprimanded and banned from being a compliance officer for finance and administration for a year over multiple rule breaches.
SRA asked: Why aren’t you approving M&A deals?
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has been asked to explain why it is requiring only notification of impending mergers and acquisitions, rather than its approval.
Barrister fined for racist “goat farmer” remarks
An experienced criminal law barrister has been reprimanded and fined for an “outburst of racist language” when talking to a trainee police officer.
Trainee used Home Office second job to access immigration files
A solicitor who had a second job at the Home Office while a trainee and used it to access the visa application files of clients and family members has been suspended.
Strike off for solicitor who backdated letter and blamed laptop
A solicitor has been struck off for creating letters to mislead both his opposite number and his own firm in a bid to cover up his failure to acknowledge service.
Big spike in competence-related complaints to the SRA
Reports to the Solicitors Regulation Authority about solicitors’ competence rose by 48% to over 4,000 last year, the regulator has revealed.
SDT refuses to lift conditions on “grossly negligent” solicitor
A solicitor who was suspended for a year after she was found to have been “grossly negligent” has failed in a bid to get conditions removed from her practising certificate.
Fine for barrister who “should have learnt” from previous rudeness
A barrister who should have learnt from a previous disciplinary offence that his rudeness “demeans” himself and could damage “the Bar as a whole” has been fined.
Judge “should have fined” barrister for driving death conviction
A High Court judge should not have replaced a suspension imposed by a Bar disciplinary tribunal on a barrister jailed for causing death by dangerous driving with no order at all.
Axiom Ince director struck off for amending counsel’s fee note
A former director of Axiom Ince has been struck off for amending a fee note received from counsel to give a misleading impression to his client and firm.
Blog
Don’t be fooled by the civil court statistics
The latest civil justice figures look deceptively upbeat, with faster claims. But these numbers mask a deeper truth: people are still waiting more than a year for justice.
SEO is changing: Are you measuring the right things?
AI means firms may see falling organic traffic and wonder if SEO is still working. The more interesting question is whether traffic is still the right measure of success.
Forms are evolving – and more interesting than you might think
I have spent much of my working life thinking about something most people would probably prefer not to think about at all: legal forms.
Reports
Associates
