header-logo header-logo

05 June 2008
Issue: 7324 / Categories: Legal News , Legal services , Profession
printer mail-detail

Complaints failure

In brief

The Law Society has been fined £275,000 by the Legal Ser vices Complaints Commissioner, Zahida Manzoor, who has dismissed its complaints handling plan for 2008– 09 as “inadequate”. The commissioner says she had little option but to impose the fine after the Law Society failed to properly outline its complaints handling commitments. In response, the chief executive of the Law Society, Des Hudson, says the Legal Complaints Service (LCS) has delivered a yearon- year improvement in terms of the quality and speed with which it handles complaints. “The performance of the LCS compares favourably to other similar organisations. On any reasonable measure the LCS must now be regarded as an effective complaints handling body,” he says.
 

Issue: 7324 / Categories: Legal News , Legal services , Profession
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Boodle Hatfield—Clare Pooley & Michael Duffy

Boodle Hatfield—Clare Pooley & Michael Duffy

Private wealth and real estate firmpromotes two to partner and five to senior associate

Forbes Solicitors—Stephen Barnfield

Forbes Solicitors—Stephen Barnfield

Regulatory team boosted by partner hire amid rising health and safety demand

Arc Pensions Law—Kris Weber

Arc Pensions Law—Kris Weber

Legal director promoted to partner at specialist pensions firm

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
back-to-top-scroll