SRA clarifies position on Mazur, as CLC reiterates ruling ‘has no implications’ for its regulated community
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a statement in response to the fall-out from the High Court Mazur ruling that legal executives cannot conduct litigation, even under supervision from regulated professionals. Following claims that firms were pulling legal executives from casework – including conveyancing and wills and probate – amid concerns about the potential wider […]
Law Society hit back over plans to increase scrutiny on pooled client accounts
The Law Society of England and Wales has hit back at proposals to place “substantial new burdens on legal practitioners’ over plans to require firms to conduct greater due diligence on pooled client accounts as part of draft amendments to Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing (Amendment and Miscellaneous Provision) Regulations 2025 (MLRs) Statutory Instrument (SI). Responding […]
More firms named as Legal Ombudsman publishes second tranche of complaints decisions
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published the next round of its public interest decisions as part of efforts to create ‘greater transparency and accountability’ in legal services. In the latest naming and shaming, complaints relating to pricing transparency, poor advice, holding on to client monies, and a barrister who had failed to provide an outline […]
Landmark decision sees separated Scottish couple adopt sibling
A Scottish court has ruled a separated couple who had previously cohabited could adopt the sibling of their adopted child in a ruling which could encourage English courts to adopt a flexible and more pragmatic approach to adoption In a first of its kind ruling, the Court of Session Opinion ruled in favour of the […]
SRA kick client account can down the road
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has written to respondents to the consultation on the holding of client funds by solicitors to confirm it will not be taking any immediate action on removing client account from law firms. In correspondence seen by this publication, Executive Director Strategy, Innovation and External Affairs Aileen Armstrong has written to […]
Brown to continue as LSB interim chair pending conclusion of new chair recruitment
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed interim Chair Catherine Brown will continue in the role until at least the end of March 2026. Following approval by the Lord Chancellor, Brown will continue as chair from 1 January to 31 March 2026 having been in post since February 2025. Brown succeeded Alan Kershaw who stepped […]
HMRC consultation raises uncertainty of lawyers’ role as tax advisers
A government consultation on the registration of all organisations who provide tax advice and interact with HMRC could see lawyers required to register with the agency under new legislation. HMRC have identified a need to raise minimum standards across tax advisors with the proposed changes designed to ‘improve HMRC’s ability to monitor and exclude tax […]
Children and families let down amid lack of urgency from government – Public Accounts Committee
Children and families are being let down by unacceptably long delays in family courts, and inconsistent timescales across the country according to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report into improving family court services for children. Family courts were identified by PAC as an area of inspection in its latest round of inquiries announced in May […]
HMCTS digitalisation offers a mixed picture for practitioners with complex cases often reverting to paper
Digitalisation and reform has made access to online divorce service available through HMCTS easier for public users, but legal professionals say they found some of the processes ‘burdensome’ due to document filing issues and lack of a common structure. Digitalisation of financial remedy cases is leading to quicker case resolution. A report published by a […]
HMCTS reviewing the use of AI to ‘transform courts and tribunals’
His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service is actively reviewing and adopting artificial intelligence (AI) in its effort to moderns the courts and tribunals service said Gary O’Reilly, Chief Technology Officer in a blog on the HMCTS website. The service has started to pilot AI for transcription and summarisation, support the anonymisation of judgements and documents, […]
Encouraging or assisting serious self-harm to be a ‘priority offence’ in Online Safety Act
Encouraging or assisting serious self-harm is to be a ‘priority offence’ in update regulations attached to the Online Safety Act. The government has introduced new regulations which require tech companies to be legally required to prevent this content from appearing in the first place, protecting users of all ages. Content encouraging or assisting serious self-harm […]
Ombudsman proposes first fee increase for 15 years
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is proposing increasing its case fee from £400 to £600; in the first change to pricing since charges were first introduced in 2010. The Law Society of England and Wales have described proposals to increase the fees charged by the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) as “striking the right balance” in its response […]
Law firms ‘among least prepared for new fraud regulations’
More than half of UK law firms are unprepared for the new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence coming into force under The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) in September, according to a new report from compliance training provider Skillcast. The legal sector ranks among the least prepared industries, with major governance and transparency […]
Client account roundtables offer more questions than answers on the future of legal aid funding
Recently run roundtables to discuss the option of funding access to justice through interest on client account, first previewed in The Law Society Gazette, have created more questions than answers according to attendees. In July it was reported Legal Aid providers were invited to a series of roundtables to discuss the future of legal aid, […]
Dash assessment “doesn’t work” says Safeguarding Minster
The Government’s Safeguarding Minster Jess Phillips has admitted the Domestic, Abuse, Stalking, Harassment and Honour-Based Violence (DASH) assessment, used to decide which victims of domestic abuse get urgent support, doesn’t work in a recently published podcast on the BBC. ‘File on 4 Investigates’ reviews the effectiveness of the Dash Assessment; which is one of the […]
High Court dismisses Zimbabwe return bid: access rights not “rights of custody” under Hague Convention
The High Court has refused a father’s application for the return of his 11‑year‑old son to Zimbabwe, holding that his court‑ordered contact amounted to access rather than rights of custody and so the removal was not “wrongful” for Hague Convention purposes. F v L & Ors EWHC 2190 (Fam) concerned T, born in 2014. The […]
Judge receives formal advice over courtroom conduct
A family court judge has been admonished for her behaviour following three separate complaints during referred to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. Her Honour Judge Martine Kushner has received formal advice following the judicial conduct investigation following allegations she shouted and snapped at legal representatives and litigants, raising concerns about her courtroom demeanour. While most […]
Solicitor loses bid to be restored to roll after ‘systemic’ failures led to £1.2 million fraud
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has refused to restore a solicitor to the roll after he was struck off in 2021 for a series of regulatory and supervision breaches that resulted in a £1.2 million fraud. Charles James Ete, sole equity partner and owner of Charles Ete & Co Solicitors and sole principal and owner of […]
Legal Ombudsman shares enhanced guidance on remedies for earlier complaint resolution
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published enhanced guidance on remedies that sets out five questions to assess whether a remedy is appropriate. The updated guidance is aimed at supporting service providers to identify and apply appropriate resolutions at an earlier stage and has been issued in response to findings from the 2024/2025 financial year. Many […]
Law Society ‘disappointed’ with HM Treasury’s money laundering consultation response
As the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s AML enforcement team continues its crackdown on regulation breaches, the Law Society of England and Wales has said it is ‘disappointed’ with the government’s response to the 2024 consultation on Money Laundering Regulations. In the foreword to the response – published last month – economic secretary to the Treasury Emma […]