Criminal court backlogs
New Law Journal covers the Law Society’s response to the latest criminal court backlog figures.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “The backlog figures show the depth of the crisis our criminal justice system is in.
“Decades of underfunding and cuts have left us with a justice system which is failing victims and defendants, who are having to wait far too long to access justice, with thousands of cases outstanding for more than two years.”
New TA6 form
Inside Conveyancing mentions the Law Society’s new TA6 property form and reports that MPs are to investigate the role of conveyancers, upfront information and referral fees as part of a major inquiry into the home buying and selling process.
President Nick Emmerson said: “Earlier contact between sellers and their solicitors may provide an opportunity to address any issues that could cause delays in the sale process at a later date. We hope that the TA6 will help facilitate the flow of information from marketing a property by estate agents through to the legal process.
“The aim is that having better informed buyers could help reduce both the time the process takes and the number of sales that fall through.”
Financial Benchmarking Survey
Today’s Conveyancer continues coverage of the findings from the Law Society’s Financial Benchmarking Survey.
President Nick Emmerson said: “Although law firms are proving to be financially strong and resilient, we live in tough economic times and this survey is an opportunity for law firm leaders to plan for the future. Despite costs rising and billable hours decreasing, profits have only marginally declined.”
Pro bono pledge
Global Legal Post reports that companies such as Coca-Cola, GSK, ITV, Ocado and Goldman Sachs have signed up to the UK In-House Pro Bono Pledge, which aims to support pro bono work.
The piece mentions the Law Society’s publication of case studies showing the significant impact of pro bono work by solicitors.
SRA in-house guidance
Australian Lawyer and New Zealand Lawyer cover new guidance by the SRA on how in-house lawyers should report ethical concerns.
A Law Society spokesperson said: “The competing pressures that often arise from the unique position occupied by in-house solicitors and their duties to the wider public interest and employer clients must not be underestimated. This is a good start, but further guidance and detail is needed to ensure the in-house community is adequately supported to navigate these challenges.”
In-house law
LawCareers explores in-house training contracts and careers in a piece about in-house law.
The piece mentions Law Society statistics which show the number of in-house lawyers grew by 1% in 2022, representing 26% of all PC holders.
Non-disclosure agreements
Lexology mentions our practice note for solicitors on the use of NDAs in a blog about snail’s pace progress in addressing sexism in the City.
Also worth a read:
- Solicitors to feature prominently in next week’s Post Office inquiry – Gazette
- Courts already using automated decision-making – Gazette
- Mental health organisation writes an open letter to the legal profession following the death of a solicitor – Legal Cheek
- Rishi Sunak wants a general election in the second half of the year when people ‘feel things are improving’ - Times
- Scotland’s proposals for juryless rape trials faces scrutiny as a parliamentary report reveals division and flaws - Solicitors Journal