The College of Law has appointed two women directors of college branches – the first in its 33 year history. Last week’s appointments follow recent figures which show that a third of practising solicitors are women. Latest government statistics, from 1994, show that well over half of law graduates are women. (These figures do not […]
A LABOUR councillor who issued over 20 libel writs with Derbyshire County Council has finally dropped an eight-year libel action against a Conservative MP. Prolific litigator David Bookbinder has dropped an appeal against a High Court judgment that he had not been libelled by Amber Valley Conservative MP Philip Oppenheim during the 1987 general election […]
Magistrates courts will continue to grant criminal legal aid, at least for the time being, the Lord Chancellor has revealed in a written answer to a parliamentary question by Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. The question asked if he had reconsidered taking powers for granting legal aid out of the hands of the magistrates courts. Referring […]
Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council and Severn Trent Water are heading for a £850,000-plus High Court confrontation over the cost of road repairs. The council, responsible for making good roads after work is carried out by Severn Trent and which reclaims the cost of repairs, accuses the water authority of failing to pay for work it […]
Cornell v Green – QBD 19 January Claimant: Charles Cornell, 30 Accident: Road traffic accident; car passenger sued driver Injury: Avulsion fracture of spinous process of C7; badly displaced supracondylar fracture of left humerus; grazes over lumbar spine and left thigh; lacerations of scalp; large occipital subgaleal haematoma; serious diffuse head injury; complete loss of […]
A LONDON council’s problems with a local law centre – once described as a “non-hierarchical, classic 1970s collective” – have taken a new turn with the council bent on evicting the staff from its property. Tottenham Neighbourhood Law Centre is refusing to close down despite Haringay Council ceasing to renew its £200,000 a year funding […]
William Noel Arthur Horner, 54, admitted 1969, practised as Noel Horner, Truro, Cornwall, struck off. Allegations substantiated he failed to account for funds handled by him in capacity as solicitor, failed to comply with deposit interest certificate, failed to deliver agent papers and documents to Law Society in connection with his practice, failed to co-operate […]
Leigh Day & Co is not a firm looking for the quiet life. And if a case is out of the ordinary, the London-based practice is almost guaranteed to consider taking it on. However, one of the drawbacks of handling such cases is that the success rate can be lower than that of other firms […]
The Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct (Aclec) has advised the Institute of Commercial Litigators (ICL) that its application to have rights of litigation and audience does not meet the requirements of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. Aclec says granting these rights to the institute would “extend choice only at […]
I have just been handed a copy of the report from the Solicitors Complaints Bureau for 1995 containing a foreword from acting director Martin O’Reilly. One is taken aback with the complacency and arrogance of the comments it contains. The SCB’s claims to have improved are marginal and there are still an alarming number of […]
Pinsent Curtis advised the Co-operative bank in Leeds on the acquisition and working capital facilities in relation to the management buy-out of two businesses of British Thornton Holdings.
Ashurst Morris Crisp advised Tramtrack Croydon in relation to the £200 million Croydon Tramlink project. The PFI project involves Tramtrack Croydon being granted a concession to finance