Compliance & Regulation
High Court judge “compromised integrity” with CA application
A High Court judge has been given a formal warning after it emerged that he had seen an independent assessment written for his application to join the Court of Appeal.
Second solicitor to face tribunal over “threatening” vaccine letters
A solicitor accused of baselessly threatening legal proceedings over the Covid vaccine is to face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Warning for judge who “accidently” liked anti-Israel LinkedIn post
A senior judge has been issued with a formal warning for misconduct after he “accidentally” liked an anti-Israel LinkedIn post which he later described as “repulsive”.
Paralegal banned for discontinuing claim without instructions
A paralegal lied to both her client and her employer over how she handled a holiday sickness claim that she sought to discontinue without instructions.
Harman to lead review of bullying and harassment at the Bar
Solicitor Harriet Harman KC has been named as chair of the Bar Council’s independent review of bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, at the Bar.
BSB allows university to restart Bar training course
Hertfordshire University can start taking Bar training course students from September again, after the Bar Standards Board reinstated its authorisation. The regulator stopped it enrolling students last August amid concerns about weaknesses in its course delivery and initially said that… Read More
Exclusive: SRA forced to revise SSB advice after five days
The SRA has had to revise an updated statement issued just last week for former clients of SSB Group in the wake of questions raised by Legal Futures.
Axiom fund adviser joins Schools in jail after eight-year sentence
An investment manager at the heart of the Axiom Legal Financing Fund fraud has been jailed for eight years having being found guilty of fraudulent trading after a retrial.
SRA “has gone too far” with demands in SLAPPs guidance
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s guidance on SLAPPs may go too far in requiring practitioners to ascertain the truth of their client’s case, a senior barrister has suggested.
Oversight regulator ramps up Post Office pressure on SRA and BSB
The Legal Services Board has outlined its “high expectation” of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board taking regulatory action after the Post Office inquiry ends.
Pure Legal pulled into SRA’s investigation into SSB Group
The SSB Group scandal – which has seen former clients pursued for costs of claims when they thought they had ATE insurance – has now extended to another collapsed firm, Pure Legal.
Lammy: Law firms should have been prosecuted over dirty money
It is wrong that no law firms have been prosecuted for criminal breaches of anti-money laundering rules “despite the mountains of evidence”, the shadow foreign secretary has said.
Cost of closing down law firms spiralled to £20m last year
The Solicitors Regulation Authority spent £20m closing down a record number of law firms last year, according to new figures.
Barrister reprimanded for “grossly offensive” messages to ex-partner
A barrister who sent “grossly offensive” private Instagram messages to his former partner following the breakdown of a “toxic” relationship has been reprimanded by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.
Tribunal refuses to downplay “romantic” misconduct of prosecutor
A prosecuting barrister suspended for “unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature” towards a “very vulnerable” female defendant acted intentionally rather than recklessly, a tribunal has ruled.
Blog
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
