I refer to the article in The Lawyer (15 November) regarding the refusal of the (English) Law Society to permit Scottish lawyers to use their firms’ names when practising south of the border, despite the Law Society of Scotland permitting English firms to do just that when setting up branch offices in Scotland. I am […]
A LONDON Barrister has called for a “cheap preparation procedure” as part of a radical overhaul of the civil law system. Writing in the current issue of Bar magazine Counsel, Anthony Speaight says the present system should be retained in addition to a new procedure which involves “no paper apart from traditional pleadings, no witness […]
The Social Market Foundation’s “fundholders for justice” scheme for legal aid, currently being considered by the Government, is based on out-of-date statistics and contains “seriously flawed” analysis, says the Law Society. In a damning report, the society says the money-saving proposal would turn legal aid into “a lottery”. “Cash-limiting legal aid might be attractive to […]
THE LAW Society has moved a tentative step nearer to separate solicitor representation for borrower and lender in conveyancing matters. But council members, who took three hours to decide the issue last week, removed some of the proposal’s teeth, agreeing to “unrestricted joint representation of borrower and lender may in some circumstances no longer be […]
HIGH-PROFILE QC Geoffrey Robertson added a white beard to his wig and delighted some of his younger fans by a virtuoso performance as Father Christmas at his chambers’ annual children’s party. Emerging from his grotto in the basement at Doughty Street Chambers the Santa listened to their Christmas Day requests. and was heard to say […]
BRITAIN’S tribunal system is so overloaded hearings are being held in church halls, portable buildings, pubs and in one case even a tin shack, the Council for Tribunals says. “When you visit the tribunals, particularly the ones which sit irregularly, you see some peculiar sights,” council chair Lord Archer of Sandwell QC told a press […]
THE FINAL stage of outsourcing of British Rail’s legal work has been completed, with its litigation tender being split between London firms Vizards and Kennedys. Eighteen lawyers have moved with the work – nine to each firm – leaving BR’s legal department with 14 solicitors. Staff start at Kennedys on 9 January, while Vizards has […]
TEXACO’S legal department chief David Codd has been appointed to the company’s board of directors. Codd, who leads a team of six lawyers, was taken on as chief legal adviser four years ago. He also serves as company secretary. Codd qualified with City firm Lovell White Durrant but he has held previous in-house positions in […]
Fighting London’s corner as a centre of intellectual property law excellence is the priority of the newly-elected chair of the Patent Solicitors’ Association. Taylor Joynson Garrett partner Richard Price will be working for reform of procedure in the Patents Court to help it compete with increasing competition from specialist courts in Germany, the Netherlands and […]
MANCHESTER-based barrister Rodney Klevan QC has been instructed by alleged serial killer Fred West. Klevan, who defended former Liverpool Council deputy leader Derek Hatton, is a recorder of the Crown Court and leader of the Northern Circuit. He has been head of chambers at Manchester’s 18 St John Street since 1990. A bencher of Gray’s […]
JUDGES’ opinions should count for less when considering candidates for assistant recorder appointments, according to a Law Society report. The report, going to the House of Commons’ home affairs committee on judicial appointments, outlines a number of reforms to the appointments system in the light of increasing numbers of solicitor applications. It says reliance on […]
HARRY Whelehan, the former Republic of Ireland Attorney General who resigned as Irish High Court president only a week after being appointed, has still not been readmitted to practise as a barrister despite the full backing of his profession. The Irish Bar Council, at Whelehan’s request, called a special meeting to amend its code of […]