Dame Sue Carr becomes Lady Chief Justice
Times (£), Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday, Independent, Times & Star, Oxford Mail, Leigh Journal, Harrow Times, Banbury FM and more than 20 other regional outlets cover the Law Society’s response to Dame Sue Carr becoming Lady Chief Justice. Several outlets also mention President Lubna Shuja’s attendance and speech at the swearing-in ceremony.
Law Society of England and Wales President Lubna Shuja said: “This is a historic moment which I am proud to witness. I hope it will lead to further progress on women’s representation within the judiciary.
“Around a third of judges in our courts are women, with even fewer in the senior judiciary. This momentous appointment is a sign that times are changing, and improvement is on the way.”
Joshua Rozenberg’s A Lawyer Writes blog also cites Lubna’s speech at the ceremony.
Fixed recoverable costs
President Lubna Shuja writes in the Gazette about the Law Society’s concern over the extension of fixed recoverable costs (FRC).
President Lubna Shuja commented: “The ongoing impact on solicitors and their clients needs to be closely monitored to assess the extent to which access to justice is being impacted by the changes.
“We call on the government to ensure there are processes in place to quickly remedy any immediate and important issues that emerge. We would also strongly caution against extending the regime any further until robust evidence of its impact has been gathered and analysed.”
Inside Conveyancing also covers our concerns about the extension.
Professional ethics in the legal sector
LawCareers.Net covers the launch of the Law Society’s professional ethics programme, called Changing Ethical Landscapes, and a web hub to support members balance their obligations to their clients and to wider society.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “This will create a safe space for solicitors to have challenging but necessary conversations about the implications for professional ethics on issues like client selection, workplace culture or the independence of in-house counsel.
“We hope this programme will help members navigate this evolving landscape, where potential tensions between the wider public interest and individual clients’ interests can create challenges for solicitors seeking to act ethically.”
New taskforce for City firms
Global Legal Post reveals the Law Society’s participation in a new taskforce set to examine the ethics of City firms acting for oligarchs.
R v Lawstop
Gazette covers the Law Society’s intervention in judicial review case R v Lawstop.
President Lubna Shuja said: “Overly restrictive approaches to billing as highlighted in this case place the fragile legal aid system under even greater stress. In bringing this case on behalf of their clients, Lawstop have ensured that the law has been clarified, which is beneficial for the profession.
“We are pleased the judge accepted our interventions, making clear that the correct test for “matter starts” does not involve deciding which of the legal problems is the predominant one and then allowing only for that. The correct test is simply whether the client has more than one separate and distinct legal problem.”
SRA takes control of scheme
Legal Futures reports that the SRA has formally taken over the management of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF).
President Lubna Shuja responded: “We acknowledge the way the SRA listened to the concerns expressed by the Law Society and consumer groups and responded responsibly.
“We have been greatly impressed by the huge amount of work undertaken by the SRA staff to bring the SIF under the regulator’s direct management in time for the start of October.”
Wills and inheritance
Law Society President Lubna Shuja is featured as a legal expert in the third episode of the Channel 5 series Inheritance Wars, which explores conflicts around inheritance and wills.
Concerns about chair of Board
Legal Futures reports that MPs have raised concerns about a possible conflict of interest with Amerdeep Sohal, a local government ombudsman, becoming chair of the Law Society’s Board.
Public order offences
Stuart Nolan, Chair of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee, speaks to LBC Radio (from 0:39:44) about public order offences, in the wake of a Sheffield fan using a photograph of six-year-old cancer victim Bradley Lowery to taunt opposition supporters.
Worker rights
Jodie Hill, member of the Law Society’s Employment Law Committee, speaks to Channel 4 programme Steph’s Packed Lunch (from 1:05:53) about employee rights when calling in sick.
Also worth a read:
- IBA publishes a legal agenda that addresses the profession’s most pressing challenges – Solicitors Journal
- New research shows millions of people have experienced poor health as a result of legal delays in housing cases - Guardian
- Anti-social behaviour may be tackled by housing courts - Gazette
- Criminal barristers set to strike over criminal legal aid fees in Ireland – Irish Times
- Jeremy Hunt announces a freeze on civil service recruitment at the Tory party conference – Times (£)