header-logo header-logo

13 December 2024 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 8098 / Categories: Opinion , Profession
printer mail-detail

The insider: 13 December 2024

201004
Dominic Regan presents A Christmas Carol: enter, the ghosts of Christmas past (the Solicitors Act 1974), present (the new intermediate track), & future (PACCAR legislation)

Well, that didn’t last long. On Friday 29 November, I went along to the 13th National Forum of the Civil Justice Council (CJC) in London. The courts minister, Heidi Alexander, gave a detailed speech setting out her objectives for the next four years. An hour later, she was moved to Transport.

On the positive side, she swooned over the Master of the Rolls, whom she had met a fortnight earlier. She admitted to having ordered her private secretary to ‘bring me more Sir Geoffreys’, such was her admiration for him. Readers of this column will know that I too hold him in the highest regard, along with Sir Colin Birss, deputy head of civil justice, and Dame Sue Carr. Our Lady Chief Justice is revered by judges at every level.

Colin Passmore, whose new bible on privilege has just been published, was giddy about her when

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Stephen Ward, The Barrister Group

NLJ Career Profile: Stephen Ward, The Barrister Group

From mowing lawns to life at the Bar: Stephen Ward reflects on an unconventional career

Clarke Willmott—Ben Loosemore

Clarke Willmott—Ben Loosemore

Commercial property partner joins Clarke Willmott in Southampton

Ellisons—Robert Tiffen

Ellisons—Robert Tiffen

Robert Tiffen joins Ellisons as Partner in growing Norwich office

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.

back-to-top-scroll