Legal risks of Don’t Pay UK
Gary Rycroft, a member of our council membership committee, speaks to i News, the National UK, the Chronical Live, LancsLive, the Money Edit, Verified News Explorer Network and GoodtoKnow about the legal risks for people considering cancelling their electricity bills amid the spiralling cost of living crisis.
Refusing to pay bills could have “dire consequences for the individuals concerned,” particularly those on low incomes, he said.
“In my view, an informed decision is understanding the potential risk to them… they’re going to be in breach of their contract with the energy companies. They could ultimately have their energy cut off or they could be put on a prepayment meter before that. And of course, any debt that accrues in their name is going have a negative impact on their credit report.
“There’s potential personal risk for people that go down this route. If people go down this route, fully informed, absolutely fine. If people aren’t fully informed and induced into doing it, thinking there is going to be safety in numbers, then I fear for them.”
Deputy vice president
Local Government Lawyer reports news criminal legal aid solicitor Richard Akinson has won the Law Society of England and Wales 2022 election for deputy vice president of the solicitor profession.
He will take office in October, become vice president in 2023 and president in 2024-2025.
Richard Akinson said: “I stood for office because of my strong belief in our profession, its values and the work it does to support our clients and uphold the rule of law. As lawyers we need to be courageous and speak out on behalf of those less able, for the independence of the legal system and institutions that are key to a functioning democracy. Many of these are under threat, not least our criminal justice system.”
UK government accountability
The Morning Star cites our criticism of proposals to change judicial review legislation. This comes after leaked Ministry of Justice documents reveal Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab is allegedly hoping to curb the power of judges in judicial review cases.
Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce warned that changes to judicial review legislation could lead to unlawful action from public bodies going unchallenged, which “undermines a crucial element of the rule of law.”
Neurotech
Newswise and the Gazette report on a neurotech study from University of Sydney criminal law scholar Dr Allan McCay, which was commissioned by the Law Society. The research raises questions about how technologies which interact with the brain could be used in the analysis of criminals.
Practising certificate fee increase
The Law Society of Ireland Gazette reports on the increase in the cost of the practising certificate in England and Wales.
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