Compliance & Regulation
Law student convicted of racial slurs aimed at England footballer
A law student who called England footballer Bukayo Saka a ‘monkey’ in an online rant was warned last week that he could go to jail.
Bar disciplinary tribunal under spotlight over secrecy of hearings
The secrecy of proceedings at the Bar disciplinary tribunal is under scrutiny in two high-profile cases where one barrister wants privacy and the other more openness.
SSB clients’ distress as cavity wall claims are transferred to third firm
The law firm that took on SSB Law’s cavity wall insulation cases after it went bust is exiting the field and passing the files on again to Hugh James.
All Daily Mail sting solicitors to face disciplinary tribunal
The three solicitors whose firms were shut down last year after being named in a Daily Mail undercover investigation are to face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
New BSB duty “would require barristers to become social engineers”
More high-profile figures have expressed their concern at the Bar Standards Board’s plan to impose a new positive duty on barristers to act in a way that “advances” equality, diversity and inclusion.
Rebukes for solicitors over inadequate service and not passing on cash
An experienced partner who failed to give a divorce client competent advice, leading to costs orders against the client, herself and her firm, has been rebuked.
Bar tribunal hands ‘opera assault’ lawyer harsher sanction than SRA
A dual-qualified lawyer convicted of beating a man in a confrontation at the Royal Opera House has been handed a harsher sanction by a Bar disciplinary tribunal than the SRA.
Barrister convicted of harassing ex-partner suspended from practice
A barrister convicted of harassing his former partner with a barrage of “very abusive, insulting and irrational” emails has been suspended for nine months by a disciplinary tribunal.
Solicitors sanctioned for inadequate advice over care home rooms
A solicitor who failed to advise clients adequately over the high risks of buying and subletting rooms in care homes has been fined, with the newly qualified who worked with him rebuked.
IT worker banned for stealing laptops from major City law firm
A member of IT staff at City giant Ashurst who stole two laptops from the firm and sold them on has been banned from working in the profession.
BSB rules loom large in row over Israel arrest warrants
UK Lawyers for Israel has confirmed it is to complain to the Bar Standards Board about the conduct of International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan KC.
Gender-critical barristers’ alarm at BSB equality rule reform
Two barristers with high-profile gender-critical views have expressed alarm at the Bar Standards Board’s proposed rewrite of its equality rules.
Barristers set for positive duty to advance equality and diversity
Barristers will have a positive duty to act “in a way that advances equality, diversity and inclusion” under a shake-up of the equality rules launched by the Bar Standards Board.
CILEx Regulation pushes ahead with transparency for all legal services
Rule changes which would mean that law firms regulated by CILEx Regulation would be the first required to publish price and service information for all services have been put to the LSB.
Law firm owner rebuked for practising without insurance
A solicitor who did not shut down his law firm properly, continuing to deal with client matters even though he was not insured, has been rebuked.
Blog
The cost of systemic failure and childbirth injuries
Recent reports show that the NHS has paid almost £3.5bn in medical claims around childbirth injuries over the past six years.
Mazur: when regulators make simple things complicated
What the last six months have shown is that supervision cannot be treated as a background compliance obligation quietly managed somewhere in a firm’s operational processes.
How unstoppable AI is reshaping UK legal practice
At a time when most technology innovation still flows from the US and China, UK lawtech is attracting growing international attention and capital.
