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Regulation matters: a duty too far?

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Clare Hughes-Williams & Tom Bedford highlight the importance of ensuring solicitors stay on the right side of the line when acting in their clients’ interests
  • Any conduct by a solicitor which could be regarded as an attempt to further their client’s agenda at the expense of their duties to the public and the court is likely to be the subject of regulatory scrutiny.
  • Practitioners must bear in mind that the outcome of a case will never be more important than the duty to comply with their obligations.

Following a recent investigation, The Daily Mail has asserted that it has uncovered allegedly questionable practices on the part of some law firms when completing asylum applications for their clients. It is said that applicants were advised to embellish their applications and that they were coached and generally encouraged to behave in a dishonest way, with the sole purpose of succeeding in obtaining asylum. This has caused a political furore at the highest levels of government. The

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Stephen Ward, The Barrister Group

NLJ Career Profile: Stephen Ward, The Barrister Group

From mowing lawns to life at the Bar: Stephen Ward reflects on an unconventional career

Clarke Willmott—Ben Loosemore

Clarke Willmott—Ben Loosemore

Commercial property partner joins Clarke Willmott in Southampton

Ellisons—Robert Tiffen

Ellisons—Robert Tiffen

Robert Tiffen joins Ellisons as Partner in growing Norwich office

NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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