SRA presses ahead with seven-page code of conduct and solicitors practising in unregulated firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to press ahead with allowing practising solicitors to deliver unreserved services to the public from unregulated organisations, as part of a radical shake-up of the way it oversees the profession. At its heart are a seven-page code of conduct for solicitors and six-page code for firms.
New definition of ‘client money’ dropped but SRA gives green light to third-party accounts
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has dropped a new definition of ‘client money’ which would have excluded fees and disbursements in response to the concerns of practitioners, but is otherwise moving ahead with a huge rewrite of the accounts rules that reduces them from 41 pages to just seven, and approves the use of third-party managed accounts.
Paid McKenzie Friends should not be excluded from court, Bar Council report finds
The case for excluding paid McKenzie Friends from the courts “has not yet been made out”, research for the Bar Council has concluded. The research found that most of the work carried out by paid McKenzie Friends was delivered outside court, and advocacy was merely “the tip of the iceberg”.
Truss out as Lidington becomes new Lord Chancellor
David Lidington has become the fourth Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in just over two years after Liz Truss became the only member of the cabinet to be demoted following the election. The fourth non-lawyer to hold the post, his record indicates little connection with legal issues to date.
Leigh Day fall-out: Questions over burden of proof in tribunal and SRA powers
Friday’s ruling of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to clear Leigh Day and three of its lawyers in the longest and most expensive prosecution ever has brought into the spotlight questions about the burden of proof in disciplinary proceedings and the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s push for greater internal fining powers, it has been suggested.
PI claims company manager prosecuted for ‘blagging’ customer details to sell to law firms
A former claims company manager has been fined for leading a team involved in ‘blagging’ calls to illegally obtain personal data from insurance companies that they could sell on to personal injury law firms. Meanwhile, there have been more raids as part of an investigation into nuisance calls linked to the theft of data from car repair centres.
Leigh Day exonerated after longest and most expensive disciplinary tribunal prosecution ever
The longest and most expensive case brought in the history of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ended with high-profile claimant lawyer Martyn Day, two of his colleagues and his firm Leigh Day fully exonerated. A former head of British forces in Iraq said the SRA should appeal.
Partners at Yorkshire firm fined over conflicts of interest
Two partners who acted both for former clients of a law firm shut down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and for one of that firm’s solicitors have been fined by a disciplinary tribunal. However, they had to accept higher fines than had been agreed with the regulator to satisfy the tribunal’s view of the seriousness of their misconduct.
Third time not a charm for Slater & Gordon as another shareholder action looms
Slater & Gordon faces its third shareholder class action after it announced yesterday that it had been served with a letter before action. Notably, however, the period under scrutiny precedes the Quindell deal, the disastrous impact of which on S&G’s share price is the focus of the first action to be filed last October.
Claimant lawyers urge colleagues to tell SRA about firms running bogus holiday sickness claims
Claimant personal injury lawyers yesterday urged their colleagues to report law firms bringing fake holiday sickness claims after it emerged that the Solicitors Regulation Authority is investigating around 15 reports of potential misconduct.
