Immigration advice scam
Law Society immigration committee member Zeena Luchowa spoke to the Independent about warning signs an immigration advice provider might not be legitimate, saying: “Advisers have to tell you what the likely costs are going to be at the outset, then update you during the matter and you have to be properly billed for what has been done.
“No one can ever guarantee that an application can be successful, they can say it has a reasonable chance and you meet the requirements but that decision is for the Home Office.”
The investigation, which details reports of rogue immigration advice providers, is picked up by MSN, Yahoo news and Newsbreak.
Implications of making menopause a protected characteristic
Adele Edwin-Lamerton, a member of our employment law committee, spoke with BBC Radio Newcastle (from 20:10) about what making menopause a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 would mean.
Hold out for India trade deal
A joint letter urging thoroughness over speed in trade negotiations with India is picked up by Politico, Good Word News and News to Check.
The letter, from UK business groups including the Law Society, says “It is the content of the deal which matters for U.K. businesses, not speed of negotiation.
Community care legal aid deserts
Home Care discusses the growing challenge of unmet care needs, fuelled in part by the difficulties people have in accessing legal aid.
The piece cites our finding that 68 per cent of the population of England and Wales do not have access to a community care legal aid provider and only 16 per cent have access to more than one legal aid provider in their area.
Find out more about our legal aid desert maps
Compulsory purchase order concerns
Local Government Lawyer picks up our concern that proposed reforms to compulsory purchase orders would be compatible with human rights legislation.
We said: “We have concerns as to whether the compulsory purchase order proposals are justifiable, equitable and compatible with human rights (Article 1 of the First Protocol of the European Convention of Human Rights and, if it is a dwelling, Article 8) when balancing the public interest against individual rights, as failing to recognise the hope value attached to a property will result in properties acquired for existing use, which will be less than market value.”
Read our consultation response
Professional undertakings practice note
Lexis Nexis reports a new Law Society practice note on how solicitors can best deal with the risks associated with accepting undertakings given by corporate entities such as companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs), which are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and others.
Legal future: neurotech
Legal Cheek, Forensic Magazine, Irish Legal News and Scottish Legal News cover our neurotech report.
The research raises questions about how technologies which interact with the brain could be used in future and some of the previously unexplored legal implications neurotechnology might give rise to.
Legal risks of Don’t Pay UK
Gary Rycroft, a member of our council membership committee, spoke to BBC Radio Shropshire (from 26:20) and Times Radio (from 1:40:23) about the legal risks of not paying your energy bills as part of the Don’t Pay UK campaign. Gary is also quoted in i news the Week, Velvet Classic, News Cabal, News Explorer and the World News on the issue.
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.”
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