Profession still has a way to go for gender pay parity
Four years on from the introduction of mandatory gender pay gap reporting, the legal services sector has made some steps towards gender pay parity, but our report has identified there is still much more to do.
Legal Futures and the Gazette quote Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce, who said: "Our latest research on pay gap reporting over the past four years provides important benchmarking data and insights, which means workplaces can assess their approaches so far and learn from their peers."
Read our press release and the report in full
International Human Rights Day
On International Human Rights Day – 10 December – we honoured Afghan human rights defenders.
I. Stephanie Boyce tells the Gazette: "I offer my deepest respect to the lawyers, judges, prosecutors and others who dedicated their lives to upholding the rule of law in Afghanistan over the last two decades.
"I know most of you are now in hiding with your families, in fear for your lives. We stand in solidarity with you. We recognise the work you have done to support human rights and the rule of law in your country and the particular risk you and your family face because of that work."
Undiverse judiciary
The Gazette reports on the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) publishing its diversity recruitment data for the last four years.
Law Society vice president Lubna Shuja said: "We call on the JAC to investigate urgently the reasons for this differential performance and remove any remaining barriers. We will continue to support our members to make strong judicial applications and pursue their judicial aspirations, but we want to see them have equal chances of being appointed."
Anti-money laundering
A think tank report recommending an overhaul of anti-money laundering (AML) legislation is covered by the Gazette, Today's Conveyancer and Today's Wills & Probate.
A Law Society spokesperson said: "The legal profession is fully committed to supporting the fight against economic crime and the profession takes its anti-money laundering responsibilities very seriously."
Homebuyer fraud
Property Wire references our joint warning with the National Economic Crime Centre and Action Fraud about payment diversion fraud in conveyancing.
"These frauds can involve huge sums of money and have a devastating lifelong impact on the home buyer and their personal finances. Solicitors and their clients can all play a part in making such crimes more difficult for the criminals" said I. Stephanie Boyce.
Property title fraud guidance
Along with HM Land Registry and the Fraud Advisory Panel we have released guidance for homeowners to avoid property title fraud, where home ownership can be stolen.
"Property title fraud can have devastating consequences for victims, and we urge people to follow the steps set out in the guidance in order to help protect their homes," I. Stephanie Boyce tells Property Wire and House Ladder.
"Solicitors are alert to this and other cruel schemes, such as payment diversion fraud, which can cost victims hundreds of thousands of pounds and even see their house stolen by the fraudsters."
Wellbeing woes
IFF Research and HM Courts & Tribunal Service (HMCTS) have published a report on the experiences of court staff, legal professionals, judges and the public between May and October 2020.
58% of judges and 54% of legal representatives felt their health and wellbeing were negatively affected by remote hearings.
I. Stephanie Boyce tells the Gazette: "It is "particularly concerning to see that around three in five judicial respondents and just over half of legal representatives responding to HMCTS felt that remote hearings impacted their health and wellbeing, given that we know legal professionals are overstretched and under immense pressure".
Remote witnessing of wills useful but no game-changer
In November, we surveyed wills practitioners on their use of remote witnessing of wills during the pandemic. We found that of the 95% of respondents who drafted wills during lockdown, only 14% used remote witnessing, reports E Private Client.
Also worth a read:
- Omnicron: Booster jabs available to everyone over 18 this week – BBC
- Max Verstappen wins F1 title in nail-biting finish – Times (£)
- Petra Srncova death not suspicious, say Met Police – Sky News
- PM shown hosting No10 Christmas quiz in 2020 – Sunday Mirror
- "Fess up" over No10 events, urges Labour – LBC
- Tornadoes in six US states kill more than 70 people – FT (£)
- Family courts need early legal advice – Gazette