CLC hits back at Lord Chief Justice and Law Society opposition to new rights
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has hit back at opposition from the Lord Chief Justice and the Law Society to its application to grant rights to conduct advocacy and litigation. The Legal Services Board is currently considering the CLC’s application, and as one of its statutory consultees, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge has expressed his total opposition.
RTA portal beats predictions with 630,000 claims
The RTA claims portal processed around 25% more claims than anticipated during its first year of operation – with more than 630,000 claims submitted to compensators – as the system’s behaviour committee prepares to approach regulators to help stamp out bad practice by users.
CJC warns of MoJ threat to access to justice as Jackson implementation role is revealed
Government plans to reduce the amount of litigation in the county courts by introducing mandatory pre-action directions will undermine the constitutional principle of access to the courts, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) has warned. The news comes as the CJC’s role in implementing the Jackson reforms has also been revealed.
Firms have “heads in the sand” over compliance officers
Law firms are not doing enough to train staff in risk and compliance matters, a leading expert on partnerships has warned – adding that practices must “get their houses in order by October 2011” to be ready for the new regulatory requirements.
Claims lodged over dishonesty and default by solicitors spiral above £200m
The value of compensation claims lodged as a result of dishonesty and other default by solicitors now tops £200m – more than four times the amount just two years ago – new figures from the Solicitors Regulation Authority have revealed.
QualitySolicitors goes live in WHSmith with national TV endorsement
QualitySolicitors’ (QS) deal to run ‘Legal Access Points’ (LAPs) within WHSmith stores was launched on Friday with celebrity fanfare and national TV coverage. Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden unveiled the first of an eventual 500 nationwide LAPs at Westfield shopping centre in west London, before a crowd of onlookers and autograph hunters.
SRA maintains freeze on trainee minimum salary at 2009 levels
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has suspended its policy of increasing the minimum salary for trainee solicitors for the second year running, a move reluctantly accepted by the Law Society’s Junior Lawyers Division.
Solicitor “troubled” by timing of hacking revelation as Law Society presses Leveson
A high-profile solicitor whose phone was hacked by the News of the World has expressed his concern that the news has become public before he had a chance to identify which clients may have been affected. Meanwhile, Law Society chief executive Des Hudson has written to Lord Justice Leveson asking him to consider the hacking of solicitors’ phones as part of his inquiry into the phone hacking affair.
LSB targets conveyancing and corporate work as major review of regulation begins
The regulation of both residential conveyancing and corporate law, as well as general legal advice, is set to be reviewed by the Legal Services Board as it begins a major investigation into the boundaries of regulation and also looks at whether Parliament needs to undertake a “root and branch overhaul of the current system”.
Bar Council takes advice on whether referral fees fall foul of Bribery Act
The Bar Council is taking leading counsel’s advice on whether referral fees amount to bribes under the Bribery Act 2010 ahead of possibly promoting an amendment to the legal aid bill to ban them, chairman Peter Lodder QC has revealed.
