Law Society Gazette

15/11/2024

Two more district judges have been issued with formal advice for misconduct over a delay to producing an order or giving a ruling:

Lady chief justice and lord chancellor agree with formal advice for misconduct over months-long delays.

15/11/2024

'Albert has literally opened doors for me' 🐕‍🦺

Gowling WLG has pioneered the use of an assistance dog for legal apprentice Jemima Banks. Lauded by RNIB, Jemima and the firm are working to get others interested.

John Hyde reports ⬇️

Jemima Banks' assistance dog Albert has kickstarted a new approach by Gowling WLG.

15/11/2024

A Lancashire firm flush with investor funds has announced the closure of three offices to move staff into a centralised hub:

Farleys Solicitors will move teams from Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley to offices on a business park in the village of Altham.

15/11/2024

'Capacity' concerns over assisted dying bill:

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced by backbencher Kim Leadbeater MP, has been promised parliamentary time by the government.

15/11/2024

The Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board has laid bare the crisis facing the sector, telling the lord chancellor that the situation has deteriorated in the three years since an independent review called for urgent action:

Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board says situation has deteriorated since 2021 Bellamy review called for urgent uplift.

15/11/2024

A court worker from east London who claimed she was removed due to race discrimination has lost her case against the Ministry of Justice:

Agency worker alleged she was treated differently because she was black.

15/11/2024

A solicitor has been fined £12,500 over a conflict of interest and failure to disclose his relationship to the borrower client in conveyancing transactions:

Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal fines lawyer £12,500 and orders he pay almost £20,000 in costs.

15/11/2024

A solicitor has been found liable for fraudulent trading in connection with misleading selling and advertising by mini-bond issuer London Capital & Finance:

High Court judgment finds number of defendants, including lawyer, liable to LCF for their knowing particpation in the fradulent conduct of LCF's business.

15/11/2024

• Means to an ending •

Kim Leadbeater MP’s private member’s bill may well herald the legalisation of assisted dying. Are its safeguards sufficient?

Plus: Joshua Rozenberg • Private client • Trade marks • Disability • Social housing • Letters - all in this week's Gazette 📰

https://edition.pagesuite.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=a707d6c1-e179-4a26-8452-b8057d482919

14/11/2024

Former Conservative lord chancellor David Gauke, who is leading a government-commissioned sentencing review to end the prison population crisis, will be supported by a former lord chief justice:

Lord Burnett of Maldon part of panel supporting former Conservative lord chancellor as review issues call for evidence.

14/11/2024

More than 70% of lawyers report at least one sign of poor mental health in relation to their finances, a report by a financial education business has claimed:

Review finds lawyers with financial worries reported feeling anxious, a lack of motivation and sleepless nights.

14/11/2024

Law firms should not be able to profit from holding money on clients’ behalf, the SRA asserted today as it launched a wide-ranging consultation on consumer protection:

Firms continuing to profit from holding cash on behalf of clients is no longer appropriate, regulator says in long-awaited consumer protection consultation.

14/11/2024

Judges should lead efforts to change the culture in litigation and curb the ‘lawyerly zeal’ helping to hold back the truth, a top academic has said:

Professor Richard Moorhead says culture of 'can we get away with it' is being aided by lawyers.

14/11/2024

The number of employment tribunal cases related to neurodiversity is going up.

Joanna Goodman explores how technology can play a big part in supporting neurodivergent employees ⬇️

Neurodiversity.

14/11/2024

Former criminal bar chair Sidhu groomed aspiring lawyers for favours, tribunal hears:

Sidhu's alleged misconduct centres on his 'predatory behaviour' towards young women, a bar tribunal heard yesterday.

14/11/2024

A barrister who told a client to pay her settlement money into his business account was rightly suspended, the High Court has ruled:

Barrister of 42 years had argued the tribunal did not consider his experience and clean record.

14/11/2024

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has signalled its most intensive clampdown on firms breaching money laundering regulations, with fines of more than £57,000 announced in two days:

Firms from Oldham, Surrey, London, Wolverhampton and Birmingham all sanctioned.

14/11/2024

Criminal legal aid lawyers will finally see movement on pay after the government today announced a £24m injection into police station and youth court fees:

Lord chancellor announces £18.5m for police station work and £5.1m for youth court fees.