Regulation
SDT rejects a quarter of prosecution agreements
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal rejected a quarter of the outcomes agreed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and defendants last year, its annual report has revealed.
Whistleblowers’ lawyers “fear retaliation” over NDAs
Lawyers acting for whistleblowers have told MPs and peers that they can feel intimidated to raise concerns over non-disclosure agreements because of the threat of retaliation.
Union offers to back students who want to sue BSB
The Legal Sector Workers Union has committed to backing legal action Bar professional training course students sitting exams next month may want to bring against the Bar Standards Board.
Lawyers face new levy to support economic crime drive
Larger law firms face a new levy of £100-200 per £1m of revenue to support the government’s economic crime plan, under proposals outlined by the Treasury yesterday.
COFA banned for using disbursement payments to prop up firm
A compliance officer for finance and administration who helped the firm’s owner use £500,000 received for disbursements to prop up the firm has accepted a ban from the profession.
Gowland joins LSB in chartered legal executive first
A former president of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives has become the first member of that branch of the profession to be appointed to the Legal Services Board.
Partner fined for offensive question to gay trainee
A law firm partner who asked if it was acceptable to call a gay trainee solicitor a “poofter” – and repeated the question to the trainee – has been fined £4,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Bar Council applies for £5m Covid loan as barristers mull giving up
The Bar Council is applying for a £5m loan under the government’s coronavirus business interruption loan scheme amid concerns that nearly a third of legal aid barristers may leave the Bar next year.
Barrister ordered to hand over Twitter account details
A barrister has been ordered to hand over details of who else had access to a controversial Twitter account that harassed activists campaigning against antisemitism in the Labour Party.
Legal regulators “too slow” with diversity action
Progress by the legal regulators in understanding and tackling ongoing inequalities in the profession is “too slow” and lacks “strategic direction”, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has said. The oversight regulator said there were “fundamental shortcomings” in the collection of… Read More