Court delays in rape trials
Newsnight (around 16:46) cites our concern that delays in the justice system have contributed to a rise in the number of rape and sexual assault cases that have collapsed over five years in England and Wales, after complainants withdrew from the process.
Professional ethics
Law Society President Lubna Shuja writes in the Gazette about the future of professional ethics, following her keynote speech at the Westminster Legal Policy Forum.
Lubna said: “Having worked in professional discipline and regulation for many years, ethics is a topic close to my heart. It is an issue that’s becoming increasingly pertinent in public debate about the legal profession.”
Mandatory mediation
Stow Family Law Blog continues coverage of news that separating parents in England and Wales could face fines for refusing to try mediation under new proposals.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja is quoted: “The risk is that compulsory mediation could force the wrong people into the process, at the wrong time and with the wrong attitude for it to be effective. They need to be ready to mediate and have a full understanding of what the process will involve.”
Diversity in law
LawCareers.Net refers to the Law Society’s 2020 report on diversity and inclusion in the legal sector to discuss ethnic diversity and the obstacles many solicitors from underrepresented groups face in the profession.
National Conveyancing Week
The Gazette covers events held to mark National Conveyancing Week and mentions the Law Society’s TA6 property information form.
Also worth a read:
- Ministers push to overhaul parole system in Victims and Prisoners Bill - BBC
- LSB suggests a solicitor oath to maintain ethical standards - Gazette
- Call for MoJ to release data on individual criminal courts– Legal Futures
- New proposal for legal aid - Gazette
- Asylum seekers to be housed on disused boats and in former military bases - Guardian, Times, BBC
- Push to change requirement for press to pay legal costs when sued - Guardian