Compliance & Regulation
SRA hands out first fixed penalties for AML information failures
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued the first fixed fines to firms that failed to provide it with information about their anti-money laundering and sanctions controls.
Solicitor who fabricated attendance note escapes strike-off
A solicitor who created a “false and misleading” attendance note to show that she warned a client about the escalating level of costs has been suspended for two years.
Fine for drunk barrister who collapsed at court
A barrister who collapsed at a court while drunk and was taken to hospital in an ambulance has been fined £1,000 by the Bar Standards Board.
Watchdog takes action over accident management companies’ adverts
Three accident claims management companies – one of which is owned by a law firm – have been found in breach of the Advertising Standards Authority’s rules.
Breach of SRA rules must be “sufficiently serious” to be misconduct
A solicitor’s breach of their regulatory obligations will only amount to misconduct if it is “sufficiently serious”, the Court of Appeal ruled yesterday.
Solicitor cleared of misleading client and firm over LPAs
A solicitor accused of misleading her client and her firm about delays in registering lasting powers of attorney has been cleared, with her firm placing too much on her shoulders.
MP rails at “dishonest” solicitors involved in ad-spoofing
An MP has branded law firms that benefit from so-called ad-spoofing as “dishonest” and unethical, and called for action against them in a parliamentary debate last week.
Under-fire tax barrister handed 18-month interim suspension
The barrister whose £8m claim against high-profile tax lawyer Dan Neidle was ruled the first statutory SLAPP has been handed an interim suspension until September 2027.
Call to shift “modest” solicitor-client costs disputes from court to LeO
Costs disputes between solicitors and their clients worth up to £50,000 should be dealt with by the Legal Ombudsman and not the courts, the Civil Justice Council has proposed.
SRA unveils plan for beefed-up continuing competence regime
A beefed-up continuing competence regime for solicitors, including mandatory record-keeping and discussions about ethics has been laid out by the SRA.
Exclusive: CA clarifies Mazur ruling after Law Society application
The Court of Appeal has made amendments to its Mazur ruling to make clear that law firms are not at risk of committing a criminal offence through inadequate supervision of unauthorised persons.
Leading national firm fined £160k for accounts rule breaches
National law firm Taylor Rose has been fined £160,000 for multiple breaches, including residual balances held for up to seven years and not self-reporting to the SRA.
SRA “should ask KC” to review approach to SLAPPs
The Solicitors Regulation Authority should consider commissioning an independent KC to review its approach to prosecuting SLAPPs, a leading media lawyer has argued.
The drama is over – no Mazur appeal
The Law Society has decided against trying to appeal last month’s Court of Appeal ruling in Mazur, it has confirmed to Legal Futures.
Reviewer urges better understanding of SQE format
There should be more effort to help candidates and others understand why multiple-choice questions are used in the SQE, its independent reviewer has suggested.
Blog
The SRA’s strict liability gamble has failed. Good
The Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in Dentons v SRA on 27 April, and the profession is right to welcome it. It is the second time in short succession that the court has corrected the SRA.
How AI presents real opportunities for barristers
AI presents real opportunities to improve access to justice and to support barristers in day-to-day legal practice. But we all need to understand and mitigate the risks.
Not everything can be a competition issue – a new dawn for consumer redress
Last month, the Law Commission launched a new project to “consider the potential introduction of a consumer class actions regime” in England and Wales.
