Killing the golden goose: City concerns as review backs online courts and regional court hearings
A landmark review of civil justice has backed the creation of an online court for claims worth up to £25,000,…
Legal affairs
‘Irrelevant word-smithing’: Leading law firms to pay millions for apprenticeships payroll tax
Preliminary Law Society figures estimate more than 250 firms will be hit by the 0.5% payroll tax to supplement apprenticeships…
Guest post: The strange, slow death of the criminal courts charge
The criminal courts charge is, or was, one of the less well thought-through criminal justice reforms of recent years. Since…
Privilege under threat: Legal lobby raises alarm over Snooper’s charter
Both The Law Society and The Bar Council have called for legal professional privilege (LPP) to receive statutory protection in…
Comment: The moment of truth arises – will the profession stand up to Gove?
In business as in life, if you want respect you have to start by expecting it and not putting up…
The moment of truth arises – will the profession stand up to Gove?
In business as in life, if you want respect you have to start by expecting it and not putting up…
Snooper’s charter offers ‘unsatisfactory’ protection for legal professional privilege
Both The Law Society and The Bar Council have called for legal professional privilege (LPP) to receive statutory protection in…
Breeding cynicism – a call to move past the money-driven culture afflicting law
NRF’s Peter Martyr argues senior lawyers need to speak out for a more responsible vision of the profession Our profession…
HSF’s Palmer handed TheCityUK role as it seeks to protect London’s legal hub status
Elected as senior partner of Herbert Smith Freehills earlier this year, corporate heavyweight James Palmer has been appointed chair of…
‘More of a PR stunt than a constitutional milestone’: Government backtracks on withdrawal from ECHR
The Conservative government has backtracked on any planned withdrawal from key provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)…
Toughening up: UK watchdogs clamp down on corporate wrongdoing as fines spike 270%
Regulatory partners expect a busy 2016 as EY figures show UK regulators have ramped up the number of fines and…
Mixed reviews over impact of first SFO deferred prosecution agreement
Corporate crime specialists are divided over the likely impact of Lord Justice Leveson’s approval of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office’s…
Plea pioneers: HSF advises bank on first deferred prosecution agreement with SFO
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) is advising ICBC Standard Bank on its deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the UK Serious Fraud…
Guest post: Osborne’s bizarre personal injury proposals
Many of us watched the Chancellor’s Spending Review speech because of controversial proposals such as cuts in tax credits for…
Autumn Statement: Osborne brings more gloom to the legal sector with deeper MoJ cuts and court closures
While a decision to backtrack on tax credit cuts stole the limelight in the Autumn Statement today (November 25), Chancellor…
Firms assess options ahead of potential crackdown on contract lawyer tax loophole
A potential government crackdown on tax savings made by consultants through ‘personal service companies (PSCs)’, could have negative implications for…
Guest post: Privilege Games – In advisers we trust?
Two quotes on legal professional privilege caught my eye this week. First this from two lawyers at Herbert Smith Freehills…
Guest post: More questions than answers – the strange case of former Chief Legal Ombudsman Sampson
The first, and most important, thing to remind everyone before I dissect the events of the last few weeks is…
Legal Aid Agency faces 100-firm challenge over criminal contract cuts amid whistleblower’s call for an external investigation
It was a decision never likely to sit well with the public defence profession and so it proved. The ongoing…
‘Absolutely outrageous’ – Gove floats £60m-plus tax on City law firms to fund criminal courts
New justice secretary Michael Gove is set for a tussle with City lawyers after floating a plan to impose a…