There is a lack of diversity on the bench, points out the top solicitor judge
There is a ‘dearth of solicitors’ sitting in the country’s top courts, according to the second solicitor to be appointed to the Court of Appeal. A ‘failure to recognise’ what solicitors could bring to the bench was pointed out by Lord Justice Gary Hickinbottom. The comment came during last saturday’s annual conference of The Law Society’s Junior Lawyers Division. […]
Secrets law reform means Journalists are ‘at risk of prison’
Civil servants and journalists could face imprisonment for disclosing information that would otherwise be available to anyone asking for it via the Freedom of Information Act, due to proposals by the Law Commission to reform the 1989 Official Secrets Act (OSA). This warning comes from a leading campaigner for freedom of information. Campaign groups Article 19 […]
Top QC accused of victim-blaming sex attack survivor
Top Silk has been lambasted after he placed responsibility on a victim for her sexual assault at the hands of her stepfather, a disciplinary tribunal has found. Howard Godfrey made comments that were found to be ‘offensive and unnecessary, according to the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service. The QC has been representing a client who was […]
Bar asks the next Government for an experienced lord chancellor
To defend the independence of the judiciary, representatives of the bar have now called for the next lord chancellor to be a person whose ‘experience is combined with the requisite authority among ministerial colleagues’ in a thinly veiled attack on Liz Truss. The Bar Council gave top priority to ‘judicial independence’ in their ‘Manifesto for Justice’, […]
HM Courts and Tribunals announces all-night ‘hackathon’
HM Courts and Tribunals have revealed today that they will be kicking off plans to design an online court with an all-night ‘hackathon’, to be held at a secret location in London. The announcement detailed plans to collaborate with the technology law community, Legal Geek and the Society for Computers and Law to run the event. The […]
Women make partnership breakthrough
Whilst international and silver circle firms have promoted more women in this year’s round of promotions, magic circle firms are behind on gender diversity. International firm Norton Rose Fulbright is among the firms leading the way on gender diversity in its senior ranks, with women making up more than a third of promotions in the […]
Government bid to delay air quality plan rejected by High Court
The High Court has rejected an application made by ministers to postpone the government’s clean air plan until after the general election. They have ordered the government to publish the plan by May 9th. Citing ‘pre-election proprietary rules’, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs applied to the court to extend the publication deadline […]
Divorce ruling set to encourage consideration of marriage length
A family lawyer has warned that a potentially groundbreaking court ruling could have a major effect on divorce cases involving so-called ‘short marriages’ in the future. The case in question is brought by Julie Sharp, an energy trader, who is challenging a judgment that gave £ 2.74 million to her ex-husband based on the equal […]
Leigh Day case finally drawing to a close
The longest-ever hearing of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is finally drawing to a close as the verdict of human rights firm Leigh Day is delivered later this week. The tribunal is set to decide whether any of the 20 allegations lodged against the firm, its senior partner Martyn Day, and its solicitors Sapna Malik and […]
Electronic bill of costs are to be compulsory by October
Solicitors are being warned to prepare themselves for a major upheaval in the handling of litigation costs, as a new electronic bill of costs is set to be compulsory by October. The new bill will become mandatory for all detailed assessments in the Senior Courts Costs Office, as reportedly decided by The Civil Procedure Rule Committee; […]
