Estate agency praised for dropping referral fee demands
An estate agency has been praised for publicly disavowing future demands for referral fees, describing them as “the quiet scandal” in the industry.
Ex-law firm owner sentenced to 12 months in jail for contempt
The non-lawyer owner of a defunct law firm has been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment for contempt after she failed to comply with a freezing order obtained by its previous owners.
Solicitor fined for failing to spot money laundering red flags
A solicitor who failed to spot red flags for potential fraud/money laundering while acting on two loans worth £464,000 has been fined £15,000.
Judicial mediation becoming a “safety net” for parties
A High Court master has explained how judicial mediation was able to resolve a dispute, where one of the sides was unable to afford a private mediation.
Digital property pack wins government data prize
A digital property pack which combines multiple sources of data into a “single source of truth” for conveyancers and others has won a government prize worth £50,000.
Barrister disbarred for sexual harassment was in “position of power”
A senior male barrister who sexually harassed a female junior shortly out of pupillage “must have appreciated that he was in a position of power and importance” to her.
Solicitor jailed for using drug money to pay mortgage struck off
A solicitor jailed for 26 months last year for using drug money generated by his twin brother to pay a mortgage has been struck off.
Most pupil barristers still coming from Oxbridge
A majority of pupil barristers (53%) have backgrounds at Oxford or Cambridge universities, while 42% come from private schools, new research has found.
Increased tribunal delays have “profound impact” on claimants
An increase in delays in the administrative justice system, caused partly by a huge rise in caseloads for certain tribunals, has had a “profound and often compounding” impact on users.
CA to decide if duping opposing solicitor is abuse of process
The Court of Appeal is to decide whether a party’s attempt to deceive a solicitor for the other side into disclosing client information is, on its own, an abuse of process.
