Compliance & Regulation
Pupil sanctioned for passing off other people’s work as his own
A pupil barrister who passed off other people’s work as his own and lied about it to the head of his chambers’ pupillage committee has been told he cannot qualify for at least three years.
Solicitor “tested ethical boundaries” by asking client for loan
A solicitor “tested the ethical standards” of the profession by seeking a loan from a client to pay school fees without advising him to seek independent advice, the SDT has found.
SRA lays out first changes to STaRs since 2019 launch
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is set to make the first changes to its Standards and Regulations since the rules were introduced three years ago.
Panel spells out challenge of contextualising law firm transparency data
There is “no prototype” for how to contextualise transparency data about law firms for consumers, and it will not be perfect from the start, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has warned.
Barristers set to pay the price for BSB performance problems
The poor performance of the Bar Standards Board is set to hit barristers in the pocket as it seeks to increase salaries to overcome recruitment and retention difficulties.
Law Society attacks Legal Ombudsman over 8% staff pay rise
The Law Society has attacked plans by the Legal Ombudsman to increase pay for its staff by 8%, as part of a 9.6% increase in its budget for the next financial year.
Barrister who falsified CV to get pupillage and tenancy disbarred years later
A barrister whose applications for pupillage at one chambers and then tenancy at another were based on a false CV has been disbarred – more than a decade after he first used it.
SRA steps in to shut down four Metamorph Group businesses
The SRA today closed down four of the businesses in the Metamorph Group network, comprising 10 law firms, as they were in the process of transferring their practices to another group firm.
Fee-share corporate firm becomes community interest company
A fee-share practice has become what is thought to be the first corporate law firm to become a not-for-profit community interest company, ensuring it donates all profits to charity.
Defence barrister who misled court to get paid is suspended
An experienced defence barrister who joked that he would not get paid if his case was discontinued, secretly drafted and uploaded an indictment to stop that happening.
SRA bids to increase number of senior ethnic minority staff
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced plans to improve the number of senior ethnic minority staff, although its ethnicity pay gap is “heading in the right direction”.
SDT clears ex-Law Society president Greene after private prosecution
Leading litigator David Greene was yesterday cleared of wrongdoing by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal as the long-running saga that saw him resign as Law Society president neared an end.
Fine for solicitor who failed to register clients’ interests
A conveyancer who failed to register her clients’ interests at the Land Registry within the time limit, in breach of undertakings, has been fined £10,000 for her misconduct.
Solicitor who dishonestly confirmed witnessing signature struck off
A solicitor who dishonestly confirmed that he had witnessed a signature on a lease when he actually had not has been struck off the roll.
Inns under fire for sluggish approach to disability access
The inns of court are slow to act on behalf of disabled barristers and the Bar Standards Board is to set push them to improve access in listed buildings.
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.
