Compliance & Regulation
“Favourable” PII market expected to continue throughout 2024
The current “favourable” professional indemnity insurance market is expected to continue throughout the rest of 2024, according to a leading broker.
Conveyancers will be urged to move away from client account
Licensed conveyancers will be encouraged by their regulator to move away from the risks of client account as it becomes more practical, an industry roundtable has heard.
SRA to probe competence of family law and landlord and tenant solicitors
The SRA is to examine how family law and landlord and tenant law specialists maintain their competence amid increasing reports about their practices.
First law firm obtains specialist legal services ICO certification
A leading law firm has become the first to obtain the new legal services-specific data protection certification approved by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Solicitor rebuked after client’s appeal not submitted
A solicitor who failed to check that a criminal client’s appeal had been lodged at the Court of Appeal has been rebuked after it turned out that it had not been.
Three-way regulator co-operation leads to barrister being disbarred
The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner has praised the BSB and SRA for their co-operation in shutting down an advice firm and having the barrister who supervised it disbarred.
Law firm fined £46k for AML control failures
A Coventry law firm has been fined more than £46,000 for failing to have proper anti-money laundering procedures in place, one of the largest such penalties to date.
Law firms “need WhatsApp policies” when advising asylum clients
WhatsApp has become the “preferred communications tool” for law firms handling asylum work, but most lack a “clear, written usage policy”, the SRA has said.
SRA ordered to pay costs after “flawed” ban on non-solicitor
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ordered the SRA to pay costs of £5,000 after bringing a “flawed and misconceived” case against a non-solicitor.
LSB entitled to withhold email addresses of staff
The Legal Services Board is entitled to withhold the email addresses of its board of directors and staff, the Information Commissioner’s Office has ruled in response to an FoI request.