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NLJ this week: Motor finance, markets, duties & separation of powers

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FirstRand, a hotly-anticipated Supreme Court judgment likely to arrive in July, could have far-reaching implications for the motor finance and wider financial services industries. In this week’s NLJ, Ceri Morgan, membership secretary of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, and knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills, explores the fiduciary duties involved, the key questions that will need to be answered by the Supreme Court, and the impact on the motor finance market
Morgan also looks at the case through the lens of constitutional law, namely its impact on separation of powers. Morgan writes that the case’s impact is ‘multifaceted. On one hand, it reinforces the judiciary’s authority to interpret and enforce legal standards, and for regulatory bodies to adapt and respond to judicial decisions. On the other hand, it highlights the need for clearer guidance by way of primary legislation or regulation, as it is not the role of the courts to formulate financial services’ regulatory policy’. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—Ruth Clare

Freeths—Ruth Clare

National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Partner appointed head of family team

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return

NEWS
Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The dangers of uncritical artificial intelligence (AI) use in legal practice are no longer hypothetical. In this week's NLJ, Dr Charanjit Singh of Holborn Chambers examines cases where lawyers relied on ‘hallucinated’ citations — entirely fictitious authorities generated by AI tools
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
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