Bar Council applies for £5m Covid loan as barristers mull giving up
The Bar Council is applying for a £5m loan under the government’s coronavirus business interruption loan scheme amid concerns that nearly a third of legal aid barristers may leave the Bar next year.
Consumers “will no longer tolerate” paper-based conveyancing
There are still too many paper-based processes in conveyancing and consumers will no longer tolerate it in the wake of Covid-19, the chairman of HM Land Registry has argued.
Government set to raise judicial retirement age
The mandatory retirement age for judges looks set to be increased by either two or five years in order to deal with shortfalls in judicial recruitment, under government plans unveiled yesterday.
Law firms coming out of lockdown “in fighting mood”
Law firms “acted quickly, made sound business decisions, and put cash first” in their response to Covid-19 and are now “coming out fighting”, according to new research.
Barrister ordered to hand over Twitter account details
A barrister has been ordered to hand over details of who else had access to a controversial Twitter account that harassed activists campaigning against antisemitism in the Labour Party.
Legal regulators “too slow” with diversity action
Progress by the legal regulators in understanding and tackling ongoing inequalities in the profession is “too slow” and lacks “strategic direction”, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has said. The oversight regulator said there were “fundamental shortcomings” in the collection of… Read More
Lessons of Covid “making for better in-house lawyers”
Covid-19 has taught in-house lawyers about the importance of being trusted advisers, using technology for low-risk work, and making data-driven decisions, according to a new report.
Legal Ombudsman delays creep up again
The waiting time for the Legal Ombudsman simply to start considering a complaint has nearly halved over the past year but it was still 90 days before the pandemic struck.
Top GC defends in-house lawyers’ approach to ethics
A leading general counsel has attacked the assumption that in-house lawyers “leave their morals at the door” when they join their companies.
MPs call on SRA to investigate City firm over bank scandal
City giant Herbert Smith Freehills either compromised its independence or provided incompetent advice in its work for Lloyds Banking Group on the Reading scandal, a group of MPs and peers has claimed.
