Professional ethics in the legal sector
Law Society President Lubna Shuja writes in the Gazette about the launch of our professional ethics programme, called Changing Ethical Landscapes, and a web hub to support members balance their obligations to their clients and to wider society.
President Lubna Shuja said: “Professional ethics is a topic that I have a keen interest in. It has been one of the pillars of my presidential plan. Our profession is defined by the highest ethical standards, which are underpinned by a robust regulatory framework. Solicitors uphold the rule of law and work in the best interests of their clients.”
British prison conditions
Big News Network continues coverage of British prison conditions, as a German court refuses extradition of an Albanian man to the UK.
Law Society Council member for EU & International, Jonathan Goldsmith, said: “This is an embarrassment for the UK. There have been similar court decisions before under the European arrest warrant framework, but in relation to member states whose records on prisons and human rights the UK would not wish to compare itself with.”
Practising fee rises
The Legal Services Board (LSB) confirmed that the annual practising fee for solicitors will rise to £307 for 2023/2024, a 7% rise from this year, Gazette reports.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “We welcome the LSB’s sensible decision for a small increase in the PC fee (PCF), which will underpin support for the profession and enable the Law Society to serve solicitors in England and Wales better.”
“The income we receive from the PCF determines what we can do to support the profession and wider society. We have ambitious plans to deliver more of what our members have told us is important to them, including addressing threats to the rule of law and defending the profession from political attacks.”
Legal Heroes
Gazette and BusinessMayor report on the Law Society’s Legal Heroes 2023 ceremony, which was held yesterday (7 September) at Chancery Lane.
Opening the ceremony, Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “It is a privilege to celebrate the best of us, to recognise those who have brought distinction to the profession by making a lasting and tangible impact on the lives of their clients.
“Solicitors are crucial to our justice system. You provide vital support and advice to people, businesses and government. It’s important that we take the time to recognise and commend your hard work and achievements.”
PII cover
Gazette writes about how law firms are dealing with the cost of professional indemnity insurance (PII) renewals, and takes a look at a reducing market rates. The article references the Law Society survey published in July this year, which shows that 72% of firms have not purchased cyber cover.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “We found that stability appears to be returning, after the hard market that has been affecting solicitors’ PII since 2018
“‘Given the recent news stories about data breaches, many firms may be wondering how they would respond if they found themselves in such circumstances.
“This is why we are encouraging our members to give serious consideration to acquiring comprehensive cyber insurance policies, which include data breach recovery and response.”
Linda Lee of Weightmans, chair of the Law Society’s professional indemnity committee, notes: “We’ve been in a hard market for a few years now, and practitioners will no doubt welcome the new entrants to the market, as well as the increased appetite for risk.”
Read our press release on the survey
Also worth a read:
- Op-ed on the government’s Professional Enablers Taskforce – Guardian
- Surveying why lawyers move firms – Legal Cheek
- Petitioning Braverman to end public criticism of lawyers – Gazette
- Former cabinet minister on Rwanda policy – Times
- Improper use of NDAs – Gazette
- Irwin Mitchell investing in Scotland-based law firm – Solicitors Journal