Compliance & Regulation
Police office turned barrister disbarred for rape convictions
A barrister has been disbarred for raping a woman, when she was a teenager under 16 and when she was older, while he was a policeman in the 1980s.
Ban for office manager who took nearly £550,000 from firm
A part-time office manager who misappropriated nearly £550,000 from a law firm has been banned from working in the profession.
Two solicitors rebuked for taking client information when leaving firms
Two solicitors who took confidential client information from their former employers have been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Gender-critical barrister praises BSB approach to ‘meritless’ complaints
A leading ‘gender critical’ barrister has praised the Bar Standards Board for the way it handles “meritless” complaints after rejecting two made against her.
Consultant-led law firms “pose greater money laundering risk”
The decentralised nature of consultant-led law firms carries extra money laundering risks that mean compliance officers may need to be “more interventionist”, the SRA has cautioned.
SRA to consult on strengthening continuing competence regime
The SRA is to consult on strengthening continuing competence requirements as it was not clear whether solicitors are reflecting properly on their practices.
“Too soon” for struck-off solicitor to apply for return to roll
A struck-off solicitor who has not paid the Solicitors Regulation Authority nearly £65,000 in outstanding costs from his disciplinary hearing cannot return to the roll.
Panel backs making law firms tell clients how to complain at end of cases
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has come out strongly in favour of law firms telling clients how to complain at the end of a matter as well as the beginning.
Solicitor settled employment claim without asking client
A solicitor with mental health issues who settled an employment tribunal claim without consulting her client has been struck off.
War of words between trainee and ex-Attorney General over SQE
Former Attorney General Suella Braverman KC has entered into a war of words with a trainee solicitor over a petition calling for reform of the SQE.
Strike-off for solicitor who hid partnership money during divorce
A partner who deliberately failed to disclose during his divorce that he held over £23,000 in his capital account has been struck off.
SRA awards £360k in grants to help disadvantaged students qualify
Eleven organisations are to receive grants totalling £360,000 to pay the costs of up to 190 aspiring solicitors from disadvantages backgrounds sitting the SQE.
Zahawi solicitor appeals to High Court over misconduct finding
The solicitor for former Conservative Chancellor Nadeem Zahawi has appealed against the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruling which found him guilty of misconduct.
Solicitor who ignored AML rules for six years struck off
A sole practitioner has been struck off for ignoring the anti-money laundering rules for six years and also showing a “complete disregard” for residual client balances.
City solicitor struck off for child sex convictions
A former City solicitor has been struck off after being convicted at Southwark Crown Court on two separate occasions and jailed for child sex offences.
Blog
Why is Andrew Malkinson still paying for a crime he didn’t commit?
Like many in my profession and beyond, I have been moved by the case of Andrew Malkinson, the man who spent 17 years in prison for an awful crime he did not commit.
What is tech bloat and why is it a problem for law firms?
Too many law firms are adopting shiny new tech without first retiring their legacy systems, causing duplication and unnecessary costs.
The civil courts and the digital divide
Despite the government’s decision to increase Ministry of Justice funding, its budget for 2025-26 is still 14% lower in real terms than in 2007-08.
