Circuit poll: Barristers set to quit if court hours are extended
Some 55% barristers would consider leaving the Bar if the courts adopt extended operating hours and they could set back female barristers’ progress by 50 years, research has found.
High Court judge’s private comments caught on Zoom
A High Court judge caught making critical comments of a mother in a care case because her laptop had not been disconnected from Zoom should have recused herself, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
MoJ to allow and backdate remote will witnessing
The government is to legalise the remote witnessing of wills for two years, backdating the change to 31 January this year to reassure those who have already done it during the pandemic.
“Sharing the wealth” – Firm donates all profits to charity
Corporate law firm Aria Grace Law has pledged to give all of its profits to charity and other good causes forever as part of a commitment to “share the wealth between clients, lawyers and society”.
“Our goodwill has run dry” – hundreds to refuse out-of-hours hearings
Hundreds of crime lawyers have issued public refusals to attend hearings in evenings or at weekends as new figures show that backlogs in courts and tribunals were growing even before the coronavirus.
SDT rejects a quarter of prosecution agreements
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal rejected a quarter of the outcomes agreed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and defendants last year, its annual report has revealed.
Turnover down at NAHL as PI work struggles to recover
Personal injury inquiries are still little over half of expected volumes, according to listed legal business NAHL, which has seen revenues drop by 21% in the first six months of the year.
Legal sector “must be bold and embrace disruptive tech”
Law firms need to have the courage to employ diverse and even abrasive characters who help disrupt the legal sector and ensure it does not fall behind other industries.
Whistleblowers’ lawyers “fear retaliation” over NDAs
Lawyers acting for whistleblowers have told MPs and peers that they can feel intimidated to raise concerns over non-disclosure agreements because of the threat of retaliation.
Union offers to back students who want to sue BSB
The Legal Sector Workers Union has committed to backing legal action Bar professional training course students sitting exams next month may want to bring against the Bar Standards Board.
