The outgoing chairman of the Bar, Alistair McDonald QC, has commended the Ministry of Justice, under the leadership of Michael Gove, for being prepared to listen to the Bar and act on its concerns. McDonald believes proposals in the recent consultation on criminal advocacy could, if implemented correctly, serve to strengthen criminal advocacy in England & Wales. Further evidence that the government was listening to the Bar’s concerns emerged when it announced that it would not proceed with the cuts to the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme .
27 November 2015
Positive overtones at the Bar
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach
Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office
Farrer & Co—Richard Lane
Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner
Bird & Bird—Sue McLean
Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner
NEWS
What safeguards apply when trust corporations are appointed as deputy by the Court of Protection?
Disputing parties are expected to take part in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), where this is suitable for their case. At what point, however, does refusing to participate cross the threshold of ‘unreasonable’ and attract adverse costs consequences?
When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ
When an ex-couple is deciding who gets what in the divorce or civil partnership dissolution, when is it appropriate for a third party to intervene? David Burrows, NLJ columnist and solicitor advocate, considers this thorny issue in this week’s NLJ
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
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