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15 August 2014 / Christopher Digby-Bell
Issue: 7619 / Categories: Features
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Taking a stand

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Christopher Digby-Bell applauds Chancery Lane for doing the right thing…at last!

The Law Society has been true to its members and agreed to help fund criminal legal aid lawyers’ judicial review battle with the government. A matter of some irritation for Mr Grayling no doubt, but the gamble is it might just work to force him to think again about the legal aid cuts.

No cats hiding in Chancery Lane

It’s a gamble because this government has an unfortunate reputation for being in the eye-for-an-eye business...or as Muhammad Ali used to put it: “You kill my dog, you better hide your cat.” The great thing about cats is that they don’t respond to threats, so there will be no cats hiding in Chancery Lane. Grayling may get mad, but he’ll get over it because us lawyers are just too important. We’re up there with the doctors, nurses and teachers as a member of the country’s moral elite. But we’ll have to expect that the society will be off the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ’s) Christmas card

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Flint Bishop—Charlotte Harris

Flint Bishop—Charlotte Harris

Sheffield expansion continues with appointment of commercial property partner

Browne Jacobson—Paul Duggan

Browne Jacobson—Paul Duggan

Browne Jacobson strengthens banking and finance practice with latest partner appointment Paul Duggan

Ward Hadaway—Chris Piggott

Ward Hadaway—Chris Piggott

Employment partner joins Ward Hadaway

NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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