No immediate levy in response to Axiom Ince fallout
The Gazette, Today’s Family Lawyer and Legal Futures report that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has ruled out an immediate levy on practitioners in response to the Axiom Ince fallout, though a hike in contributions is still possible next year.
Law Society chief executive officer Ian Jeffrey said: “As the representative body for the solicitor profession, we think it right that our members are not being asked to make an in-year contribution to the Compensation Fund. This decision will protect consumers and maintain public confidence in the fund.
“We maintain that the solicitor profession must be consulted before any decision is made by the SRA on its future approach to such exceptional compensation questions, given that our members would be required to pay for it.
“We will work with the SRA as it seeks to review whether its client protection and compensation fund arrangements are fit for purpose in the future.”
Cyber-attack on CTS
Sarah Dwight, a member of our conveyancing and land law committee member, spoke to the Telegraph (£) about the impact on property transactions following the cyber-attack on IT service provider CTS.
OBR analysis of Autumn Statement
Solicitors Journal, Today’s Wills and Probate and New Law Journal report the Law Society’s concerns over further cuts to the justice system, as the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) analyses the Autumn Statement.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “Chronic shortages of judges and lawyers mean there isn’t enough capacity to cover all the cases and some of the courtrooms they sit in are falling apart.
“The OBR’s report highlights the strain on public services including the Crown Court backlogs hitting a record high of 65,000 in August this year.
“There’s little hope of the government achieving its target of cutting the backlog to 53,000 by March 2025 unless it invests in justice now.”
CILEX regulation
The Conservative MP and former criminal defence solicitor James Daly has clashed with the leaders of CILEX over their planned regulatory reforms, accusing them of “proposing the deliberate destruction of the solicitors profession,” Legal Futures and Gazette report. The Law Society is mentioned.
SRA fining power
The Times (£) mentions our opposition to the Solicitors Regulation Authority being given unlimited fining power in a piece about law firm being fined £100,000.
Lifetime achievement award
The Times Brief reports that Lubna Shuja, immediate past president of the Law Society, received the lifetime achievement award at the annual dinner of the Society of Asian Lawyers.
Also worth a read:
- Judges can order parties to engage in ADR – Legal Futures
- Rwandan legal system incapable of protecting refugees sent from the UK – Guardian
- New research says lawyers can sometimes be “too inclined” to act unethically – Legal Futures
- Tributes paid to journalist Linda Tsang – Times (£)