Last chance saloon – criminal Bar stage major protest against final legal aid reform package
Resentment against the Government’s final package of legal aid cuts has reached new heights as hundreds of criminal barristers and…
Legal affairs
Comment: Paradigm shift vs recession – responding to a sceptical reader
We recently posted a comment piece addressing the issue of whether the forces impacting on the legal market represent a permanent…
‘Worst fears confirmed’ as Grayling announces final legal aid reform package
There was never likely to be much compromise and so it proved. The Government today (27 February) confirmed its final…
Systems overhaul required as Treasury Solicitor’s Department falls foul of Data Protection Act
Whitehall’s largest legal department, the Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol) is to improve its data protection practices after an independent investigation…
Countdown: HMRC’s LLP tax changes to go ahead in April
The controversial debate over taxation of limited liability partnerships (LLPs) has reached a decisive stage as changes are scheduled to…
Comment: paradigm shift or just the mother of recessions? 2014 should answer the profession’s big question
It’s been obvious that something fundamental happened to the world economy during 2008, ushering in the worst relative trading conditions…
Comment: Magna Carta, bribery and a bit of confusion – Global Law Summit starts the countdown
It turns out that hundreds of years of legal history waits not even for Bob Crow so Thursday evening (6…
‘Like a comfortable old shoe’ – HMRC review attempts to push reset button on its relationship with partnerships
City tax partners have long accused HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of unfairly treating all partnerships as tax avoidance vehicles…
MoJ’s court fee proposals criticised by internal government review
The Ministry of Justice‘s plans to levy sizeable court fees in commercial claims have encountered a setback after the Government’s…
Protests and resignations but the High Court says QASA is lawful
Following months of protests from the criminal Bar including the resignation of a number of barristers from the Bar Standards…
Guest post: Where next for the Law Society after no-confidence vote?
The Law Society, if nothing else, is a decent host and members attending the special general meeting (SGM) on Tuesday…
Countdown to closure as 117 law firms fail to obtain PII
Over 100 law firms have less than two weeks to obtain professional indemnity insurance (PII) failing which they must close…
Unsettled forecast for 2014 as MoJ unveils court fee consultation and CBA announces legal aid strike
Following a year of protests over legal aid cuts and court reforms from a profession better known for its quiet…
Fraying consensus – Law Society mired in controversy again as leadership loses legal aid confidence vote
The fall-out over the Government’s highly controversial legal aid reforms continues as the Law Society‘s leadership today (17 December) lost…
Guest post: My thoughts (as a citizen) on Lord Sumption’s Azlan Shah lecture
On 20 November, Lord Sumption (Justice of the Supreme Court) delivered the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Lecture in Kuala Lumpur…
141 law firms in final closure warning to gain cover as research claims partners ignorant of insolvency risk
While there are signs of recovery at larger law firms, fresh evidence of the pressure on smaller practices has emerged…
141 law firms in final closure warning to gain cover as research claims partners ignorant of insolvency risk
While there are signs of recovery at larger law firms, fresh evidence of the pressure on smaller practices has emerged…
Guest post: R (PressBoF) v Culture Secretary: the hearing
I was in court 68 at the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday morning (30 October) to hear the Press Standards…
Tough on the high street – 153 law firms enter last chance saloon after failing to gain cover
In further evidence of the intense pressure facing small practices, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) today (31 October) announced that…
Guest post: Prerogatives, power and press regulation
I make no apology for returning to the question of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press. This was…