Plant tells “flat earth” Society that SRA independence is inevitable
The outgoing chairman of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has urged the “flat-earthers” at the Law Society to accept that full structural independence for the regulator from Chancery Lane is inevitable.
The “extraordinary” tale of the lawyer who faked his client’s litigation
The High Court has set aside an order made against a litigant after it emerged that his solicitor had duped him by conducting “fictitious” litigation that included faked judgments and telephone conferences involving the impersonation of his senior partner and of leading counsel.
SRA seeks further ways to cut burden of 5,000 qualified accountants’ reports
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is proposing to cut further the number of law firms required to submit annual accountants’ reports, setting out a revised set of criteria for accountants to decide whether reports should be qualified.
Exclusive: Chief Legal Ombudsman resigns in accounts dispute
The Chief Legal Ombudsman, Adam Sampson, has resigned from his role after a controversy about travel expenses meant his organisation’s accounts are likely to be qualified by the National Audit Office.
Kenny: redress “safety net” will enable innovation and access to justice
Chris Kenny, the outgoing chief executive of the Legal Services Board, yesterday called on legal regulators to implement a “trade off” between access to the law and quality of service, with a “safety net” of easy redress when things go wrong.
SFO denied ‘voluntary bill of indictment’ to resurrect conspiracy case against lawyers and others
The Serious Fraud Office has failed in an unusual bid to resurrect a prosecution against six people, including three solicitors and a QC, over an alleged conspiracy to defraud three local authorities in Wales and the Coal Authority.
Lawyers will be seen in future as “small part of diverse legal ecosystem”
Regulated lawyers should be viewed in the future as “a small part of an increasingly diverse ecosystem”, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said in a report being launched at today’s Legal Futures Annual Conference.
Terry quits as chairman of ailing Quindell
The pressure on AIM-listed alternative business structure Quindell has today resulted in founder and executive chairman Rob Terry resigning from the board of directors with immediate effect.
One in four top-250 firms mulling external investment
Almost one in four top-250 law firms are considering securing some form of external equity investment, according to a survey. The highest proportion said they would look to raise between £5m and £20m, many to fund acquisitions.
SRA takes 550 days from first report to refer solicitors to disciplinary tribunal
The time taken between serious misconduct being reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and a referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is 550 days, the regulator has revealed in a new transparency push.
