Climate change
The Daily Mail, Independent, Standard and 400+ regional publications cover our response to a Law Students for Climate Accountability analysis of the UK legal sector’s involvement with the fossil fuel industry.
“The legal profession has already taken, and continues to take, proactive steps in relation to the climate change crisis,” said Law Society of England and Wales President Lubna Shuja.
“Lawyers can play an important role in advising heavy-emitting clients to help them transition to net zero. This is critical if the government is to reach its legislative target of net zero by 2050.
“As well as the efforts that many law firms are making to address climate change issues, they have engaged actively and positively with the Law Society’s climate change work.
“This includes our recently released climate change guidance which sets out how solicitors and law firms can continue to be at the forefront of responding to the challenges of climate change.”
Legal Futures reports the Conveyancing Information Executive’s response to our climate change guidance.
Practising fees
The Gazette and Legal Futures report that the SRA will ask solicitors to pay 7% more in practising fees. They note that we have yet to finalise our proposals for 2023/24.
Special Guardianship Orders
Local Government Lawyer continues coverage of the Law Society’s response to the expansion of legal aid for Special Guardianship Orders. We welcome the expansion to legal aid but urge the government to make legal aid for Special Guardians non-means tested so that grandparents on pensions can afford legal help.
Vice President Nick Emmerson said: “It is better for the child and better financially for the public purse if an SGO can be arranged and making legal aid for special guardians non-means tested would help achieve this.”
Legal wishes
Chair of our Policy & Regulatory Affairs Committee, Jonathan Goldsmith, writes in the Gazette about his five legal wishes following the coronation.
Prince Harry and privacy
Law Society Council member Steve Kuncewicz spoke to LBC (from 00:52:52) as a High Court hearing into allegations from Prince Harry and others that their phones were hacked by journalists from Mirror Group Newspapers got underway.
Also worth a read:
- Tougher sentencing for animal cruelty – Solicitors Journal and Gazette
- Senior legal executives will be allowed to become Crown Court judges – Times (£)
- CILEX transfer talks – Gazette
- Leasehold plans dropped – Guardian
- Sunset clause to be scrapped – BBC and Independent