Litigation/Dispute Resolution
Judge rebukes HMRC for “extraordinary allegation” against law firm
A judge has condemned HM Revenue & Customs for making the “extraordinary allegation” that a law firm would engage in abusive behaviour over listing a hearing.
Judge slams class action firm for bringing claim without authorisation
Class action law firm Pogust Goodhead has been ordered to make a £900,000 interim costs payment after a judge found it did not have authority to bring proceedings started in 2020.
Judge refers solicitors to SRA for fake AI-generated cases
A circuit judge has referred two solicitors to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for submitting hallucinated cases to the court.
“Significant new evidence” in employment judge misconduct case
The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office has agreed to reinvestigate allegations of bullying and intimidation against Employment Judge Philip Lancaster, in light of “significant new evidence”.
Indemnity costs ordered over threat to report solicitors to SRA
A company has been ordered to pay indemnity costs because of its solicitors’ misuse of criminal contempt proceedings and threats to report their opposition to the SRA.
King’s Speech: No litigation funding, SLAPPs or AML reform
The King’s Speech yesterday was notable as much for what was not in it as what was, with significant omissions including the promised litigation funding bill.
CA overturns referral of KC for contempt hearing over closing speech
The Court of Appeal has set aside a Crown Court judge’s referral of a KC for contempt of court proceedings after finding the High Court did not have the jurisdiction to pursue them.
Barrister denies raping client’s daughter in chambers
A barrister has denied raping the vulnerable daughter of one of his clients, who demanded £100,000 from him as an out-of-court settlement.
FCA warns legal challenges could scupper any motor finance scheme
If the various legal challenges to current motor finance compensation scheme succeed, there might be no scheme at all, the Financial Conduct Authority has warned.
CAT approves £1.7bn Microsoft action despite funder “uncertainty”
The CAT has approved a £1.7bn opt-out collective action against Microsoft despite admitting that “a degree of uncertainty” surrounded its funder.
‘Freeman of the land’ theories “offensive to the rule of law”
A High Court judge has condemned ‘Freeman of the land’ theories used by litigants in person to try and get themselves out of legal difficulties as “offensive to the rule of law”.
First batch of credit hire claims processed by arbitration pilot
The first group of credit hire claims have been processed by a pioneering arbitration pilot – a partnership between a law firm, an insurer and a legaltech firm.
AI helping judges avoid jigsaw identification and inconsistencies
Artificial intelligence is helping judges avoid jigsaw identification of individuals when anonymising judgments, the Chancellor of the High Court has said.
Call to shift “modest” solicitor-client costs disputes from court to LeO
Costs disputes between solicitors and their clients worth up to £50,000 should be dealt with by the Legal Ombudsman and not the courts, the Civil Justice Council has proposed.
FCA and solicitors in war of words over motor finance challenge
The FCA has told solicitors and CMCs challenging its motor finance redress scheme that they should give their clients the chance to end their retainers.
Blog
Does the Lloyd review mark the end of the Legal Services Act?
The Legal Services Board often generates eye-rolls and irritation from the leaders of the frontline regulators it oversees and of the representative bodies attached to them.
A familiar story?
There is no doubt that the rising cost of clinical negligence claims deserves attention. However, the system’s true cost driver is often not the claim itself.
When AI becomes a line on the client’s bill
On 23 June, Legora changed how it charges. The platform announced that its most capable product was moving away from a flat per-seat licence fee to consumption-based pricing
