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18 March 2026
Issue: 8154 / Categories: Legal News , Legal services , Legal aid focus
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Interest levy opposed by Bar Council

The Bar Council has joined the Law Society and CILEX in opposing Ministry of Justice (MoJ) proposals for a levy on interest earned on lawyers’ client accounts

Kirsty Brimelow KC, Bar chair, said: ‘There is no consultation on whether to introduce this scheme, only on how to do so.’

The Bar warned the Interest on Lawyers’ Client Account Scheme (ILCA) would adversely impact low-margin cases and urged the MoJ to exclude legal aid firms as well as funds managed for clients who lack capacity or clients’ damages, particularly since the latter could undermine the basis on which damages are calculated. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Harneys—Maggie Kwok & George Weston

Harneys—Maggie Kwok & George Weston

Harneys senior leadership appointments

Freeths—Keith Browne & Jim Jordan

Freeths—Keith Browne & Jim Jordan

Freeths strengthens London Construction and Engineering practice with two strategic senior hires

Anthony Collins—Laura Moss

Anthony Collins—Laura Moss

Anthony Collins announces strategic hire to deepen skills base in the social business sector

NEWS
More than 100 teams from the legal and financial services sectors competed in five sports at the 51st Law Society RFC Festival of Sport earlier this month
Part-time status need only be an effective cause of less favourable treatment, rather than the sole cause, the Supreme Court has held in Augustine v Data Cars
Britain’s new acknowledgement that Israel’s occupation is unlawful, and accompanying settlement-goods ban and sanctions, is significant but overdue, argue Danny Friedman KC and Victor Kattan in NLJ this week
New planning fee rises, wider trade union access rights and a service-by-email trap feature in Stephen Gold’s latest Civil Way
Existing defamation law can respond to AI ‘hallucinations’, but allocating responsibility will prove harder where outputs reach users without human intervention
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