Compliance & Regulation
Legal regulators unhappy at loss of AML role to FCA
Regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority for anti-money laundering will feel “very different” for law firms, the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s chief executive has predicted.
Philip: I thought about resigning in wake of SSB report
The chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority said yesterday that he did consider resigning in the wake of the report on SSB Law but decided that “it wasn’t the right thing”.
Mazur “the inadvertent result” of Legal Services Act drafting
The Mazur ruling likely came about because the Legal Services Act 2007 inadvertently failed to codify what had been custom in the legal profession for a long time, two experts have argued.
FCA to take over anti-money laundering supervision of all lawyers
The Financial Conduct Authority is to take over responsibility for supervising lawyers’ anti-money laundering activities, the government announced today.
“Cowardly” solicitor lied to client about claim for over 10 years
A self-confessed “cowardly” solicitor who lied to a client for more than 10 years after her medical negligence claim was thrown out has been struck off.
“Decisive reform” needed to restore public trust after SSB scandal
The collapse of SSB Law and the SRA’s failures in supervising it demand “decisive reform” to restore public confidence, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has warned.
SSB: SRA under pressure from profession and victims
Accountability for the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s failures in its supervision of SSB Law “must go further”, the group representing its former clients has said.
Struck-off solicitor now jailed for £400,000 theft from two law firms
A struck-off solicitor and former deputy district judge who defrauded his clients at two law firms of nearly £400,000 over the course of 17 years has been jailed for four years.
“We messed up” – apologetic SRA to be censured for SSB failures
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has apologised for failures in its oversight of SSB Law and is set to be censured for them by the Legal Services Board.
SSB report: What went wrong and how to avoid a repeat
We summarise the key findings of the Carson McDowell report into the SRA’s handling of SSB and the recommendations it makes to avoid a repeat.
SSB report: The timeline of missed opportunities
At the heart of the report into the SRA’s handling of SSB Law is the argument that the regulator missed opportunities to act earlier. This is what happened and when.
Abuse survivors “should get legal aid to tackle SLAPPs”
Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in the UK should get legal aid to defend themselves against SLAPPs, a report has argued, calling also for more action by legal regulators.
Ban for trainee lawyer who helped fugitive brother flee UK
A trainee property lawyer who helped her brother flee the country so he could avoid prosecution for murder has been disqualified from working for law firms.
Head of family law cleared of serious wrongdoing over decree nisi
A senior family lawyer has been cleared of dishonesty and lack of integrity over an application for a decree nisi that was not made and remained outstanding for a year.
Mazur: LSB to review past guidance issued on litigation rights
The LSB is to review how all the regulators and representative bodies have “ensured that information on conducting litigation was accurate and reliable”, in the wake of the Mazur ruling.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
