Covid-19 regulations
i News covers the enforcement of Covid-19 regulations.
Stuart Nolan, Chair of our Criminal Law Committee, said the Covid-19 regulations were “not particularly clear,” despite being “an attack on people’s liberties in these extreme circumstances.”
He added: “There were certainly circumstances where the police were wrong. They applied the law, the regulations and the guidance in the wrong manner. And people suffered as a result of that…
“There was probably insufficient training and insufficient knowledge as to how to apply them. They often mixed guidance and law.”
International Women’s Day: Career progression
The Gazette speaks to women solicitors about why it’s difficult for women to progress in the profession.
According to data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), women accounted for 61% of solicitors and 52% of lawyers in law firms in 2021. Yet of the total number of partners in the solicitor profession, only around 35% are female.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “We’d definitely like to see this figure being closer to 50%, which would be much more representative of the number of women coming into the profession.”
Laura Barrell, Chair of our Women Solicitors Network, said: “Different people want different things, and it’s about giving people that choice and saying: the legal sector is so much more – you don’t have to leave the profession if partnership isn’t for you.”
Law firms and billings
Lexis Nexis talks to clients, law firms and lawyers about the challenges of pricing for services when using alternative billing structures.
Stephen Denyer, our Director of Strategic Relationships, said: "One of the basic aims of law tech is to speed up tasks, which doesn't really help your profitability if you're still sticking to billable hours, so firms are still coming to terms with how to feed in the law tech element.
“That is probably going to depend on how special or unique the law tech component is — if you've got something that is really unusual or unique, then obviously you can potentially pitch that to a client as something that will cost more.
“Technology can also give you real insight into the client's issues, which gives you a chance to pitch for more work.”
Changes to legal aid for domestic abuse victims
The Gazette and Family Lore report that the UK government has made important changes to how domestic abuse victims apply for legal aid.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “Victims used to have to produce a letter from a health professional, but it would only be accepted by the Legal Aid Agency if the meeting had been face-to-face, at a time [when] medical appointments are increasingly online.
“This change to legal aid recognises the additional hurdle created by the requirement for evidence of face-to-face medical appointments.
“The Domestic Abuse Act introduced a definition of domestic abuse, emphasising that it can be emotional, controlling or coercive abuse as well as physical violence. The current Domestic Abuse Gateway fails to reflect this wider definition and does not include ways in which emotional, controlling or coercive abuse can be recognised. This should be rectified,” she said.
“Experienced domestic abuse solicitors are able to recognise coercive and controlling behaviour and should be authorised to confirm a client is a victim of any kind of domestic violence for the purpose of obtaining legal aid.”
Singapore Convention on Mediation
CDR Magazine (£) reports the Ministry of Justice’s decision to join the Singapore Convention on Mediation.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “England and Wales is already a pre-eminent centre for mediation, litigation and arbitration. This is because of the quality and reputation of its mediators, judges, lawyers and arbitrators and the agility of its legal system.
“Joining the Singapore Convention will further strengthen the reputation of England and Wales as a jurisdiction of choice for dispute resolution and have a positive effect on the mediation market.”
Standards and regulation consultation
In response to a consultation on changes to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Standards and Regulations, we tell Legal Futures that plans to stop law firms taking money for costs in advance of work being done could harm those working on fixed fees.
Read our full consultation response
Legal life of DAS awardee
Faris Amin, one of our Diversity Access Scheme (DAS) awardees, speaks to the Gazette about his legal life. His DAS scholarship supported him to complete his LPC while undergoing extensive medical treatment.
He said: “I came across the Law Society Diversity Access Scheme. DAS provides support to those with barriers to entering the profession.
“I met the DAS criteria and the process involved preparing an application form and essay. I was successful. I was invited to the Law Society and interviewed by a panel, completing a written test on the day. I was successful and began the LPC at the University of Law in September 2017.
“Through DAS, I successfully applied for a vacation scheme at an international law firm, as well as in-house placements with a bank and regulator.
Find out more about our Diversity Access Scheme
President attends awards ceremony in India
Hindustan News Hub reports that Law Society President Lubna Shuja attended the UK-India Legal Partnership’s first India awards ceremony.
Also worth a read:
- ‘Small boats bill’ expected tomorrow – BBC
- Climate crisis: Government could face legal action over failures – Guardian
- Fiery exchange between lawyer and GB News – Independent
- SRA gets approval to destroy 765,000 files – Legal Futures