THIS ISSUE
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted some interesting ethical questions among practitioners, particularly those with oligarch clients
In this week’s Civil Way, former District Judge Stephen Gold covers the latest in a David and Goliath battle between a couple duped out of their life savings and the all-powerful Barclays Bank. Where does responsibility lie?
Mrs Justice Cockerill, head of the Commercial Court, answers questions put to her by freelance legal journalist Grania Langdon-Down in a wide-ranging interview, in this week’s NLJ
Is the time ripe for a public defender system? Writing in this week’s NLJ, solicitor Roger Smith mulls the pros and cons of such a system, noting the underfunding of criminal legal aid, the ongoing ‘no returns’ action of the Criminal Bar and the current political climate
Baroness Hallett, Chair of the UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry, wrote to the Prime Minister last week, requesting the terms of reference be expanded to include the impact on children and young people, mental health and wellbeing, and collaboration between government and the voluntary and community sector
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has expanded a scheme that allows victims and witnesses of crimes, such as rape and modern slavery, to have their cross-examination video-recorded and played later in trial
The Sentencing Council has revised its guidelines on sentencing offenders convicted of arranging or facilitating sexual offences against a child, and issued a new guideline on sexual communication with a child
This year’s Pro Bono Week will discuss how lawyers have coordinated support in response to the crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine, and how best to deliver for future emergencies
The number of deaths in state detention rose 3% in 2021 on the previous year (580 compared to 562), with a 17% rise in deaths in prison custody, ‘driven by deaths related to COVID-19, which peaked in 2021 Q1’, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has revealed
After some challenging years, solicitors are starting to feel the benefits of the tough decisions they made to survive, the latest LexisNexis Bellwether report has found
MOVERS & SHAKERS
mfg Solicitors—Samantha Evans
mfg Solicitors strengthens Contentious Probate team with new appointment
Ocean Legal—Brodie Collar
Ocean Legal welcomes new associate Brodie Collar
Ward Hadaway—Helen Badger & Gemma Lynch
Ward Hadaway expands healthcare employment team with two partners
NEWS
Motor finance and consumer credit claims can be brought as a collective action or ‘omnibus’ claim, the Court of Appeal has held, in a landmark decision
Involving children as young as ten years old in the criminal justice system is ineffective, punishes disadvantage and acts as a catalyst to increase the likelihood of future offending, barristers have warned
The Crown Court backlog stabilised at the end of March, reducing by 37 cases to 80,061—a slight fall on the previous quarter but a 5% rise on the same quarter last year
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is taking former general counsel of the Post Office, Jane Elizabeth MacLeod, and another solicitor to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal
Businesses are operating in an increasingly volatile environment due to technology, geopolitical and regulatory threats, according to Clyde & Co’s annual corporate risk radar survey
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