Goodbye solicitors, hello ‘regulated legal advisors’: consumer panel seeks radical training reform
Lawyers’ legal education and training should be aimed at the specific activities they will be authorised to practise rather than at achieving a particular title, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has urged.
Bar calls on judges to halt solicitor “abuse” of QASA
The Bar has called on judges to block solicitors appearing before them as plea-only advocates under the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates. There were also calls for action to end the “corrupt practice” of criminal defence solicitors demanding referral fees.
Bar Standards Board hits back at “premature” LSB demands to single out immigration specialists
The Bar Standards Board is to push back against a Legal Services Board demand that it implement a regulatory regime for immigration specialist barristers by the end of 2012, saying the LSB has failed to produce evidence it is necessary.
Stobart Group to start advertising barrister-led service
The Stobart Group – which yesterday made the surprise announcement of its intention to enter legal services – will today begin advertising its barrister-led offering, which aims to cut out the “waste” of instructing a solicitor separately.
Criminal Bar “ready to strike” over fees
The criminal Bar is ready to strike in protest at the level of fees paid to both prosecution and defence advocates, a survey by the Criminal Bar Association has revealed. Some 89% are prepared to take “direct lawful action”, such as a refusal to attend court.
In-house lawyers to face tricky ABS decision
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to push ahead with changes to the SRA Handbook that will leave it to in-house lawyers to decide whether the law requires that their legal teams become alternative business structures.
Keep on trucking – Eddie Stobart enters legal services market (yes, really)
Logistics business the Stobart Group – home of the famous Eddie Stobart truck fleet – has today launched a new service to link members of the public and businesses direct to a barrister without needing to employ a solicitor.
Senior Costs Judge disallows budget overrun in landmark costs management ruling
A social worker involved in the Baby P case faces a £300,000 shortfall in the costs she can recover over a successful libel claim against The Sun because there was no good reason to depart from the court-approved costs budget, the Senior Costs Judge has ruled.
SRA scraps minimum salary for trainees
The minimum salary for trainee solicitors will be scrapped on 1 August 2014, the board of the SRA decided yesterday, saying it is not the job of a regulator to control wages. Firms will be required to pay the national minimum wage of £6.08 an hour.
Row erupts over call to clamp down on claims managers handling PPI work
The British Bankers Association, consumer group Which? and Martin Lewis of MoneySavingExpert.com have called on the government to take urgent action to clamp down on the activities of claims management companies bringing payment protection insurance mis-selling cases.
