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NEWS IN BRIEF

29 January 2009
Issue: 7354 / Categories: Legal News , Tribunals , Legal services , Profession , Employment
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Lord Hunt needs your views; Hacker can apply for judicial review; Change for tribunals

Lord Hunt needs your views
The Law Society is urging solicitors to take part in Lord Hunt’s Law Society-commissioned review into legal services regulation. Lord Hunt is looking for evidence from the entire legal profession, and its clients, and has published a formal Call for Evidence document. Its initial three-month consultation period will end on 9 April 2009. More information is available at the Legal Regulation Reviews website www.legalregulationreview.org.uk/evidence.html.
Hacker can apply for judicial review
British hacker Gary McKinnon, who is facing extradition to the US over charges he hacked into military computers at the Pentagon, was granted leave last week by the High Court to bring a judicial review hearing, likely to take place in March. McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, admits hacking into 97 US government computers including the US Navy and Nasa while searching for classified documents on UFOs. The director of public prosecutions is separately considering his request that he be tried in the UK rather than the US.
Change for tribunals
Kevin Sadler has been appointed the new chief executive of the Tribunals Service, and took up his post on 5 January. The Service now consists of 30 jurisdictions, most of which are being brought into a simplified twotier system consisting of a first tier and an upper tribunal, as part of a programme of reform. Previously, Sadler was director of strategic planning and performance at the Ministry of Justice and change director at the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gibson Dunn—London partner promotions

Gibson Dunn—London partner promotions

Firm grows international bench with expanded UK partner class

Shakespeare Martineau—six appointments

Shakespeare Martineau—six appointments

Firm makes major statement in the capital with strategic growth at The Shard

Myers & Co—Jess Latham

Myers & Co—Jess Latham

Residential conveyancing team expands with solicitor hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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