LSB confirms Richard Blakeway as chair of Office for Legal Complaints
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed the appointment of Richard Blakeway (pictured) to the post of chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) after an open competition. The appointment follows Blakeway’s appearance before the Justice Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny last month, and has been approved by Sarah Sackman, the minister of state […]
Court of Appeal overturns Mazur in ‘most consequential judgment for legal services in recent history’
The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) in its appeal against Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys, which limited the extent to which legal executives and paralegals can conduct litigation. In a statement released following the ruling, CILEX chief executive Jennifer Coupland said it was “the most […]
New allocation guidance relating to children in the Family Court
The president of the Family Division has issued guidance on allocation and gatekeeping in respect of proceedings relating to children in the Family Court, in accordance with rule 21 of the Family Court (Composition and Distribution of Business) Rules 2014. This guidance applies to all proceedings relating to children issued in the Family Court on […]
New legislation will keep siblings connected in care
Children in care will be better supported to build and maintain relationships with their siblings under new measures brought forward in law by the government. All local authorities in England and Wales will be required to promote and facilitate contact for children in care who are separated from their siblings. The change puts sibling contact […]
LSB outlines plans to strengthen ethical standards but is warned over duplicating regulators’ efforts
The Legal Services Board has outlined how it intends to strengthen lawyers’ ethical standards in a statement of policy which sets out new expectations designed to reinforce lawyers’ role in upholding the rule of law. But while the Law Society has welcomed efforts to continue to maintain high ethical standards, it has raised concerns over […]
Lords Committee publishes call for evidence in Domestic Abuse Act inquiry
The House of Lords Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee has published a call for evidence in its inquiry considering the effective operation of the act and whether it is meeting its policy objectives. The committee is keen to hear from a diverse range of individuals and organisations on topics including: The extent to which the […]
Pathfinder courts to be rolled out across England and Wales
Following extensive trials, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced Pathfinder courts will be rolled out across England and Wales with £17 million in government funding for the next financial year. The name of the courts will be updated to Child Focused Courts. Deputy prime minister and justice secretary David Lammy made the announcement this […]
Cohabitation reform ‘a matter of utmost importance’ ahead of spring consultation
The government has reconfirmed its intention to consult on cohabitation reform in the spring, describing it as a “matter of utmost importance”. Responding to a written question from Liberal Democrat spokesperson Joshua Reynolds, Alex Davies-Jones, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for justice said the consultation would “consider how best to strengthen the rights of cohabitating […]
Government launches digital ID consultation
The Government is seeking views on how digital ID could be used to make public services quicker, easier and more secure to access. Launching a national public consultation, Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, said the government needs to catch up with services offered by the private sector, such as online banking. […]
Government launches independent legal advice service for rape victims
Rape victims will have access to dedicated legal advice throughout the criminal justice process in a new independent legal adviser (ILA) service launched by the government. The ILA service will be launched later this year as part of Operation Soteria, an initiative launched in 2021 to place the suspect’s behaviour at the centre of cases […]
‘Impossible for LSB to meet objectives’, Legal Services Consumer Panel warns
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has shared its critical response to the Ministry of Justice’s review of the Legal Services Board, claiming its “fragmented and outdated regulatory design” make it impossible to meet its statutory objectives. The Panel – an independent arm of the Legal Services Board – says the LSB is constrained by the […]
SMEs would bear the brunt of proposals to fund access to justice through client accounts – CILEX
Small to medium sized law firms could be unfairly and disproportionately penalised under Ministry of Justice (MoJ) plans to redistribute interest from client accounts to fund access to justice, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) claims. The proposed Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts (ILCA) would represent a “further tax and compliance burden which could […]
Government’s SEND consultation facing legal challenge
The government’s reforms of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision are facing a legal challenge. Specialist public law firm, Rook Irwin Sweeney, is contesting the lawfulness of the government’s consultation document and has sent a letter before claim to education secretary, Bridget Phillipson. The solicitor leading the claim said the proposals will “significantly weaken […]
Law Society backs LSB’s EDI plans but warns of burden on small firms
The Law Society of England and Wales has responded to the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) draft statement of policy on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), broadly supporting a strengthened regulatory approach but raising concerns about the potential impact of universal EDI reporting requirements on smaller firms. The LSB published its draft policy statement, Encouraging a […]
Child arrangements and domestic abuse applications must be filed online in five family courts
All child arrangements and domestic abuse applications must now be submitted online at family courts in Kingston upon Hull, Grimsby, Swansea, Wolverhampton and Chelmsford. All C100 applications must be filed through the MyHMCTS Private Family Law digital service, unless an exception applies under practice direction 36ZD. Any paper C100 applications submitted from yesterday (Sunday) will […]
New legal definition of ‘honour’ abuse introduced, along with widened CPS guidance
A legal definition of ‘honour’-based abuse will be brought into the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, alongside a power to issue statutory guidance for authorities, the Home Office has announced. The Crown Prosecution Service has also introduced new guidance to include spiritual abuse, immigration abuse, forced marriage and a widening range of harmful practices. The […]
New 24-hour tech law ‘will protect women and girls from intimate image abuse’
Tech companies will be ordered to take down intimate images shared without a victim’s consent within 48 hours, under new laws to protect women and girls. Through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, companies will be legally required to remove the content no more than 48 hours after being made aware of it. […]
High Court rules section 83 requirements do not apply to step-parent adoption
The High Court has ruled the strict restrictions on bringing children to the UK for adoption in Section 83 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 do not apply to step-parent adoption. The judgment was handed down by Mr Justice McDonald, sitting in the Family Division at the Royal Courts of Justice, following an application […]
Government to increase funding as part of expanded support for adopted children
The government has set out its vision for reforming adoption support and has launched a consultation to gather feedback on the proposals. The increased Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) forms part of a wider reform agenda, with the Department for Education aiming to strengthen adoption support by 2028 through earlier intervention and more […]
SRA ‘will profile law firms’ to identify warning signs of collapse
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will profile law firms to help identify those at risk of collapse, chief executive Sarah Rapson (pictured) has said. Speaking to the Law Society Gazette this week, Rapson said the SRA will prioritise proactive action and “getting ahead of the risks” in the wake of high-profile failures at Axiom Ince, SSB […]