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24 September 2012 / Peter Breakey
Issue: 7530 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Never mind the quality!

Peter Breakey breaks his silence & exposes multiple regulatory malfunctions

If you discovered that a good command of English was an official expectation for law graduates, but that there was a danger that this standard was not being met, would you expect the body charged with maintaining university standards to do something about it?

The answer should of course be “Yes”, but given the multiple failings of regulatory bodies across almost the entire spectrum of British life, cautious readers might have little confidence in “The System’s” ability to ensure that proper standards are maintained.

Such lack of faith would be entirely justified. Despite research which shows that many universities do not have procedures in place to ensure that law graduates have an appropriate standard of English, QAA  (the Quality Assurance Agency) which, on its extensive (and no doubt very expensive) website proclaims that its aim is “to safeguard standards”, steadfastly refuses to investigate.

My research into the assessment of the use of English in Law degrees began in 2010. I had long been

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NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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