Civil court crisis
The Times (£) looks at the crisis in the civil courts including a shortage of judges and record delays.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said the “unacceptable” delays in the civil courts are “a consequence of long-term underinvestment”, made worse by the pandemic.
SLAPPs and economic crime
New Law Journal and the Gazette continue coverage of the Ministry of Justice’s announcement that additions to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will help end SLAPPs connected to financial crime and corruption.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “We understand why the government is implementing these measures.
“However, as only cases related to economic crime are covered, this means that some claimants may still use SLAPPs to stifle scrutiny.”
Swiss-UK Mutual Recognition agreement
The Times Brief, London Weekly, Inside Conveyancing, Wire News and several other outlets continue coverage of our reaction to the new Swiss-UK Mutual Recognition agreement.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “Switzerland is an important market for UK legal services exports. There is vigorous trade in legal services in both directions and Switzerland is the third largest UK legal services export market in Europe.
“This deal exactly reflects the Law Society’s recommendations. It confirms and extends indefinitely the current provisions for UK lawyers operating in Switzerland, giving them the permanent right to requalify in Switzerland after three years of registration and practice without having to complete a Swiss law degree or sit any local exams.
London Legal Walk
The Gazette and Legal Cheek publish photo galleries from the London Legal Walk, which took place on Tuesday.
Criminal court backlogs
New Law Journal reports on new statistics that show the delays in criminal court cases have worsened.
Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: “Underinvestment and cuts mean there simply aren’t enough judges and lawyers to tackle this huge volume of cases. The Ministry of Justice is likely to miss its unambitious March 2025 target to get the court backlog down to 53,000.”
Solicitor-apprentices
The Gazette covers the official launch of the London Law Society’s City Century initiative, which is designed to identify, attract, recruit, educate, qualify and develop committed solicitor-apprentices.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja praised City firms for “coming together to unlock fresh talent from all backgrounds to the benefit of individuals who choose this route and our globally leading sector.”
Undermining the rule of law
Legal Futures reports on an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal and Constitutional Affairs meeting.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said lawyers had been “physically attacked” following the government’s attacks on ‘lefty lawyers’.
She said the attacks had “undermined the rule of law.”
Home moving process
The Law Society is mentioned in a Today’s Conveyancer piece about steps towards a fully digital home moving process.
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