Courts chief: closures weren’t based on “real travelling times”
Many court closures in the past have not been based on the real travelling times it would take people to get to an alternative building, the chief executive of the courts service has admitted.
Leading PI firm plots post-Civil Liability Act growth
One of the country’s largest and fastest-growing personal injury law firms has announced record results and its ambition to expand further despite next year’s Civil Liability Act reforms.
Permanent secretary downplays MoJ’s funding boost
The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice has downplayed the recent 4.9% boost to its resources budget, saying it would in part simply help to “keep the lights on”.
Partners asked clients to “absolve” them of any liability
Two partners who asked clients to sign a declaration in their retainer letters stating that they absolved their law firm “from any liability whatsoever” – including professional negligence – have been fined.
Survey: Law firms benefit from efforts to help disabled
Solicitors’ firms that adjust the way they present information to disabled people – and make explicit how they can accommodate their needs – will see the business benefits, a major study has found.
Solicitor struck off for property sting on client
A sole practitioner has been struck off for a sting in which a client’s money was used by the solicitor’s business partner to buy a property for a much lower price which was then sold to the client at a profit.
HMCTS under fire for “carry on regardless” approach to reforms
HM Courts & Tribunals Service has come under fire by lawyers giving evidence to MPs for failing to assess the impact of its court reforms and adopting a “carry on regardless” approach.
SRA on hunt for ‘strategy and innovation’ director
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is set to appoint a new executive director for strategy and innovation, filling a hole for a policy specialist in the regulator’s senior management team.
Report highlights local benefits of ‘nearshoring’
Large City and international firms outsourcing legal and non-legal functions to lower-cost centres elsewhere in the UK produces significant benefits for those areas, a report has found.
Solicitor cleared of trying to mislead Ofsted and tribunal
A solicitor accused of sending a witness statement that was likely to mislead Ofsted and the First-tier Tribunal has been cleared of any wrongdoing. He was found to have acted in good faith.
