A long time in politics
Oh for the days when politics was the last thing on the minds of City advisers. For years, British politics…
Legal affairs
Paying its way: TheCityUK report says law and accounting firms contribute £15.5bn of UK taxes
Over 60,000 legal and accounting firms contributed £15.5bn worth of taxes in 2015/16, representing 2.5% of tax receipts in the…
Shorter trial scheme undergoes first full test as court allows BP appeal in $70m claim
The first case brought to trial under the London courts’ ongoing shorter trial pilot scheme has concluded on 27 July,…
‘A triumph for access to justice’: Supreme Court rules employment tribunal fees unlawful
The Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that employment tribunal fees are unlawful, allowing trade union UNISON’s appeal in a ground-breaking decision requiring the government…
Brexit government department spent £3.7m in legal costs in year since EU referendum
The government department for exiting the European Union (DExEU) has spent £3.7m in legal costs since it was set up…
UK’s top court gains first female president as progressive’s darling Hale to lead the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has gained its first female head with Lady Hale today (21 July) confirmed as its new president alongside three…
Civil court service fees generate £102m surplus for government as job cuts continue
The civil courts generated a £100m surplus in their most recent year according to new figures that are bound to…
‘Should be the end of the proposal’: Queen’s Speech reprieve for SFO as abolition move recedes
Theresa May’s Conservative manifesto pledge to subsume the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the National Crime Agency (NCA) was absent…
UK law will remain ‘attuned to the demands of international business’: Lord Neuberger speaks up for London’s prospective status post-Brexit
Lord Neuberger, president of the UK Supreme Court, has defended London’s prospective status as a legal hub in the international…
Brexit law: 1,260 extra EU laws on UK statute books by March 2019
More than 700 new European laws have been introduced into UK statute since the EU Referendum vote in June 2016,…
‘Should be the end of the proposal’: Queen’s Speech reprieve for SFO as abolition move recedes
Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative manifesto pledge to incorporate the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the National Crime Agency (NCA)…
‘Treated like civil servants’: judicial pay review promised after judges raise concerns
The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) is to liaise with judges in a major review of their pay, after a…
‘Moving target’: Queen’s Speech outlines new national legal framework as Brexit dominates Tory agenda
The Queen’s Speech today (21 June) has largely confirmed the prime ministers’ focus on Brexit, with new national legislation and reforms…
‘A pity’: lawyers react as non-lawyer David Lidington appointed Lord Chancellor replacing Truss
In a fourth successive non-lawyer appointment to the role, former House of Commons leader David Lidington has been appointed Lord…
Election comment – Many a slip between cup and hardcore Brexit
For my sins I committed Legal Business to a lengthy piece on the 2015 general election, focusing on the policies…
City partners react to Conservative manifesto
Serious Fraud Office to be absorbed by National Crime Agency The proposed scrapping of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and…
Guest post: Being within the law does not put judiciary beyond criticism – The bread knife of legal reasoning
A casual tweet of mine about the Oxford stabbing story gained unusual prominence (for a tweet of mine) and most of…
‘Just get on with it’: City partners fear yet more uncertainty ahead of general election
As Theresa May’s call for a general election on 8 June came as a surprise to many in the City,…
‘An extremely big deal’: profession lays out key threats as article 50 triggered
Linklaters gives evidence to Lords Committee on Brexit impact City firms have voiced their concerns over Britain’s arrangements to leave…
‘Implications across the board’: Supreme Court clarifies professional negligence rules in landmark BPE Solicitors case
City partners have reacted positively to a Supreme Court ruling which found a firm was not responsible for the entire…