Compliance & Regulation
Lack of immigration advisers “encourages illegal services”
A lack of immigration advisers “encourages those who seek to provide advice illegally”, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner has warned.
SRA pulls prosecution after Foreign Office warning
The SRA has withdrawn all its allegations against a solicitor and non-lawyer after the Foreign Office advised against taking evidence remotely from a crucial witness in Dubai.
Law Society seeks extra £1.76m from solicitors to fund activities
The Law Society wants solicitors to pay £1.76m more towards its operations next year, taking the amount the profession contributes to nearly £37m.
Solicitor’s tweets moved from legitimate argument to antisemitism
The solicitor struck off for tweets on Israel and Palestine shifted from making potentially valid political points “to being purely offensive and stooping to use racist and antisemitic language”.
Treasury seeks to improve “proportionality” of AML rules
HM Treasury is seeking improved “proportionality” and “additional clarity” in plans for technical changes to the 2017 Money Laundering Regulations.
LSB chief: Why are lawyers forced to pay for professional bodies?
The outgoing head of the LSB has questioned why ‘trade associations’ like the Law Society and Bar Council receive a “statutory funding stream” from regulatory fees paid by lawyers.
Legal Ombudsman delays – still lengthy but falling
Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman that require investigation will have to wait for nearly three months before work begins and up to nine months for a conclusion.
Solicitor convicted of US tax fraud is struck off
A solicitor jailed in New York for 20 months after being convicted of conspiring to defraud the US Internal Revenue Service has been struck off.
Solicitor who lied about working for firm struck off
A solicitor who dishonestly misled his client, the court and opposing solicitors into thinking he was working at a law firm, when he was not, has been struck off.
Law firm owner struck off for misleading High Court over JRs
A law firm owner who misled the High Court over the conduct of failed judicial reviews in immigration cases and tried to shift some of the blame on to a paralegal has been struck off.