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23 July 2015 / Frank Maher
Issue: 7662 / Categories: Features , Insurance surgery , Profession , Insurance / reinsurance
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The PII countdown begins (Pt 3)

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Professional indemnity insurance: Frank Maher issues a call to action

This is the third of three articles on professional indemnity insurance (PII). We look at the SRA’s proposals for reform of the compulsory cover required by the SRA minimum terms and conditions (MTC) announced earlier this month. Their discussion paper, “Protecting client’s financial interests”, proposes sweeping reform and massive reductions in the protection provided to clients—and solicitors and their staff.

The agenda for change is driven by the SRA, but is there a risk of throwing away (not even selling) the family silver?

As noted in the last article, we have the most comprehensive cover of any profession in the world (see Pt 2, NLJ, 17 July, p 21). This can come at a price. We have seen some years when firms, particularly the smaller ones and those with a significant conveyancing practice, have had difficulty obtaining cover. This was largely a product of the exposure to lender claims which followed the global financial crisis.

The result was

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Leasehold enfranchisement specialist joins residential property team

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Firm strengthens commercial team in Manchester with partner appointment

NEWS
The government will aim to pass legislation banning leasehold for new flats and capping ground rent, introducing non-compulsory digital ID and creating a ‘duty of candour’ for public servants (also known as the Hillsborough law) in the next Parliament

An Italian financier has lost his bid to block his Australian wife from filing divorce papers in England on the basis it was no longer her domicile of choice

Reforms to the disclosure regime in the business and property courts have not achieved their objectives, lawyers have warned
The Law Society has urged ministers to hold a public consultation on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the justice system as a whole
Ministers have proposed bringing inquest work under a single fee scheme for legal help and advocacy legal aid work
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