Compliance & Regulation
LSB set to recommend bigger fining powers for SRA and other regulators
The Legal Services Board is set to make a direct request to the government to increase the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s fining powers beyond the current £25,000 limit.
SRA to toughen up on compliance with continuing competence rules
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to step up efforts to ensure compliance with continuing competence obligations, particularly among conveyancers and probate specialists.
SRA allows convicted and struck off ex-solicitor to work for law firm
A solicitor jailed for perverting the course of justice after sharing information about police activities with drug dealers, and then struck off, has been allowed to return to work at a law firm.
Conveyancer who told trainee to falsify email is struck off
A solicitor who falsified emails in five conveyancing transactions as he struggled to cope with the post-Covid work surge, in one case telling a trainee to send a client false information, has been struck off.
Solicitors “should get empathy training”, LSB research suggests
Solicitors should get training in “soft skills/empathy” as part of their continuing professional development, research for the Legal Services Board has suggested.
BSB drops transgender case study from revised social media guidance
The Bar Standards Board has dropped a case study from its revised social media guidance concerning gender-critical views after it was accused of promoting a ‘gender ideology’.
SDT clears ex-trainee of lying to law firm about LPC performance
A former trainee in the London office of a US law firm has been cleared of telling partners he had not failed any legal practice course examinations, when in fact he had.
LSB has “no role” in regulating lawful use of NDAs, Bar Council says
The Legal Services Board has “no role” in “attempting to control or regulate lawyers involved in assisting clients in the lawful use of NDAs”, the Bar Council has said.
SRA shuts down three immigrations firms caught in Daily Mail sting
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has shut down three of the law firms named in a Daily Mail undercover investigation last week after the newspaper provided recordings and transcripts.
Male barrister disbarred for sexually harassing female pupils
A male barrister who told one pupil that she needed to have sex with senior members of the Bar to be successful and another that she was frigid has been disbarred.
‘Corporate’ chambers sets up ABS after significant growth
A chambers set up as a company to shake up the Bar has now obtained an alternative business structure nilicence after three years of strong growth.
Solicitor set for SRA probe after High Court overturns anonymity order
The High Court has removed a nine-year anonymity order in favour of a solicitor, meaning that the Solicitors Regulation Authority can now investigate his misconduct in later costs proceedings.
Chalk urges SRA to take action over immigration solicitors
The Lord Chancellor has urged the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to take more action over abuse of the immigration system by solicitors.
CA issues general civil restraint order against struck-off solicitor
The Court of Appeal has imposed a three-year general civil restraint order on a struck-off solicitor who has been issuing claims against the Solicitors Regulation Authority among others.
Sunak “undermining trust in lawyers”, says Bar Council
The Bar Council has accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of undermining trust in the profession by claiming that a “subset of lawyers” are exploiting illegal migrants for profit.
Blog
Why later-life divorce requires a distinct professional framework
Later-life divorce, often described as ‘silver splitter’ or ‘grey divorce’ cases, is no longer a marginal feature of family law practice. It challenges long-standing assumptions about how divorce work is done.
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.
