Compliance & Regulation
Court orders LeO to reconsider decision due to missed evidence
The Legal Ombudsman has been ordered to reconsider part of its findings of poor service by a direct access barrister after it overlooked a key piece of evidence.
Mazur: Local government lawyers eye legislative change
The Lawyers in Local Government group is to seek “legislative clarification and reform” in response to the Mazur ruling, instead of intervening in the Court of Appeal
Lay prosecutors for train company “not a Mazur-style breach”
A judge has rejected a Mazur-inspired attempt to throw out charges against a serial rail fare dodger on the basis that they were brought by lay prosecutors for the train company.
Tribunal fines solicitor for source of funds and lender failures
A solicitor has been fined £7,500 for failing to carry out source of funds checks and keep lenders properly updated about where purchase money was coming from.
Paralegal to appeal after SDT refused adjournment for representation
A paralegal denied an adjournment by the SDT so she could be legally represented – even though the SRA backed one – is to appeal the ban that followed the hearing.
Judge given formal advice after creating “hostile environment”
A controversial employment judge has been issued with formal advice for misconduct after he was found to have created a “hostile environment” for a party.
Revealed: SRA withdraws complaints-handling rule changes
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has suddenly withdrawn proposed rule changes to improve how solicitors handle complaints from approval by the Legal Services Board.
Tribunal “right” to take Sidhu’s status into account in disbarment
The tribunal that disbarred Jo Sidhu KC was “certainly not wrong” to regard his status as rendering his conduct towards a mini-pupil particularly serious, the High Court has ruled.
LSB names chief executive as BSB starts search for a new one
The Legal Services Board has named Richard Orpin as its new chief executive, having been acting up in the role for the last six months.
Paralegal banned for dishonest emails as supervisor cleared
A paralegal who lied to solicitors in one email and to a client’s relative in another has been banned – but the solicitor who supervised her exonerated.
Billing practices and fair briefing among new Bar chair’s priorities
A campaign to improve billing practices at the Bar and work with solicitors on fair briefing are among the priorities outlined last night by the new chair of the Bar Council.
The new Mazur? ‘Solicitor agent’ does not have rights of audience
A so-called solicitor’s agent did not meet the Legal Services Act 2007 requirements for rights of audience, a district judge has ruled.
Tribunal strikes out part of barrister’s claim against BSB
A barrister’s claim that hundreds of people accessed details of a complaint about her held by the Bar Standards Board has been struck out by an employment tribunal.
MoJ an international outlier with client account interest plan
Interest on Lawyers’ Client Account schemes around the world do not divert the money to general government coffers, as the Ministry of Justice is proposing, according to research.
Solicitors fined for misconduct over purchase of law firm
A woman who used a solicitor to buy a law firm while she was still a trainee, and then practised unsupervised, has been fined for misconduct.
Blog
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
