Illegal Migration Bill amendment
Law Society President Lubna Shuja wites a joint letter from the Law Society and Bar Council to the Financial Times (£) about the UK government’s plan to table an amendment to the Illegal Migration Bill that would ignore rulings from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Lubna wrote: “If the UK were to unilaterally disregard these injunctions, it would set a dangerous precedent and damage this country’s standing. Our reliability as a diplomatic or trading partner, a place to do business or invest — all these would take a hit if Britain’s respect for the rule of law were to be thrown into doubt.”
Climate change guidance
Canadian Lawyer, Australian Lawyer, NZ Lawyer and LexBlog continue coverage of the launch of our climate change guidance.
President of Law Society Lubna Shuja said: “The effects of climate change – even on legal practices – are wide-ranging and constantly evolving.
“Solicitors should be aware of this changing landscape and its potential impact upon their organisations, as well as on the legal advice they provide. We encourage solicitors to take the initiative to understand and pre-empt the climate legal risks with the help of our guidance. This will ensure they can continue to run their businesses and advise their clients competently and compliantly.”
Alex Chalk named as new Justice Secretary
Global Legal Post reports the Law Society’s response to the appointment of justice secretary Alex Chalk KC and the challenges he faces in his new role.
President of the Law Society Lubna Shuja commented: “The justice system is facing worsening backlogs, legal aid on the point of collapse, crumbling courts and a shortage of judges and court staff. The new justice secretary must get a grip on the crisis as a matter of urgency.”
Solicitors’ Charity annual report
The Gazette covers our reaction to the Solicitor Charity’s annual Big Report, which analyses emotional wellbeing and mental health in the legal profession.
Law Society Vice President Nick Emmerson said: “The Solicitors’ Charity survey echoes research from the industry on mental health and wellbeing.
“We’ve called on the profession to take stock of its culture. We have a collective responsibility to make a positive work environment for everyone. We must talk about how some working practices contribute to an increased risk of poor mental health and how we can work together to change things.
“Tackling excessive working hours and workloads, as well as ensuring better supervision and support, especially for junior lawyers, is essential. We must all take responsibility for our mental health and wellbeing and look to change our businesses so colleagues can have a rewarding career and a supportive workplace.”
Career options within the legal sector
LawCareers.Net mentions the Law Society in its discussion of career options within the legal profession and cites our Annual Statistics Report 2020.
UK solicitors abroad
Slow Newscast podcast (at 24:38) mentions the Law Society in a podcast about UK solicitors practising law in the UAE. The podcast cites our research that the UAE is home to the highest number of British lawyers outside of the UK and Hong Kong.
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