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Integrity matters

05 July 2024 / John Gould
Issue: 8078 / Categories: Opinion , Public , Governance
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John Gould on why serious work is required to re-set the collective moral compass of those in Government & Parliament

Few people can truthfully say that they have never lied or cheated when it hasn’t much mattered. Whether it’s everyday excuses or jumping queues, it’s usually not thought of as that serious. If Euro 24 is anything to go by, rolling around on the floor clutching some vulnerable body part to feign injury is considered to be more professional performance than cheating.

Sometimes, however, cheating does matter. Society works because those with responsibility to others are not expected clandestinely to put their own interests above their duty. This is both a moral and a functional question. It is not just morally right to act with integrity, but also the failure to do so may undermine the general confidence needed to make our public systems operate.

The ongoing election betting scandal relates to a number of interlocking public interests. There are economic and social objectives in the regulation of gambling to ensure that games

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

National Pro Bono Centre—Esther McConnell & Sarah Oliver Scemla

National Pro Bono Centre—Esther McConnell & Sarah Oliver Scemla

Charity strengthens leadership as national Pro Bono Week takes place

Michelman Robinson—Akshay Sewlikar

Michelman Robinson—Akshay Sewlikar

Dual-qualified partner joins London disputes practice

McDermott Will & Schulte—Karen Butler

McDermott Will & Schulte—Karen Butler

Transactions practice welcomes partner in London office

NEWS
NLJ columnist Stephen Gold dives into the quirks of civil practice, from the Court of Appeal’s fierce defence of form N510 to fresh reminders about compliance and interest claims, in this week's Civil Way
Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] EWHC 2341 (KB) has restated a fundamental truth, writes John Gould, chair of Russell-Cooke, in this week's NLJ: only authorised persons can conduct litigation. The decision sparked alarm, but Gould stresses it merely confirms the Legal Services Act 2007
The government’s decision to make the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the Single Professional Services Supervisor marks a watershed in the UK’s fight against money laundering, says Rebecca Hughes of Corker Binning in this week's NLJ. The FCA will now oversee 60,000 firms across legal and accountancy sectors—a massive expansion of remit that raises questions over resources and readiness 
The High Court's decision in Parfitt v Jones [2025] EWHC 1552 (Ch) provided a striking reminder of the need to instruct the right expert in retrospective capacity assessments, says Ann Stanyer of Wedlake Bell in NLJ this week
Paige Coulter of Quinn Emanuel reports on the UK’s first statutory definition of SLAPPs under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023in NLJ this week
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