According to Peter Heims of the Association of British Investigators (ABI), private eyes have a lot to thank lawyers for. He explains: “A private investigator is often the very last person a client would think of coming to. I think it is fair to say that about 90 per cent of our work comes via […]
THE LAW Society may support abolition of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee (Aclec) and slashing QC’s fees on legal aid cases if an in-coming Labour Government was to include these moves in its policy. These changes are among a raft of proposals in Labour’s widely-supported consultation paper ‘Access to Justice, Labour’s Proposals for Regenerating the […]
A NEWLY-FORMED environmental law group is trying to launch a court action against Railtrack under European rules on access to information. London-based EarthRights is seeking legal aid for a client whose request for information on machinery noise levels was turned down. It hopes to use the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 to force Railtrack to release […]
THE LORD Chancellor has rapped the Legal Aid Board (LAB) over the knuckles for pre-empting his plans for legal aid reform. Lord Mackay wrote to Law Society President Charles Elly to stress his concern over a board advertisement which assumed block contracts would be introduced. Richard Collins, planning manager, originally said the board would not […]
Davies Arnold Cooper has appointed an ex-barrister, Carl Atkinson, to its common law department. Atkinson, who has extensive experience in civil litigation, will specialise in high profile motor claims litigation as part of Davies Arnold Cooper’s motor claims unit.
The Mining and Mineral Law Group had considerable success in obtaining amendments to the Coal Industry Bill on ongoing liabilities for subsidence and industrial disease and injury, members heard at their first annual general meeting. They were also told that the Law Society was not yet ready to recognise them as a special interest group […]
The Patent Solicitors’ Association, set up in 1982, has changed its name to the Intellectual Property Lawyers Association. The change has been made to reflect the widening of the association’s scope and focus from purely patent litigation to all aspects of industrially-based intellectual property law. Further information from secretary Nicholas Macfarlane, at Lovell White Durrant, […]
LAW firms are set to benefit from a year of business expansion which will see companies pushing more work their way, according to a survey of UK companies. But the 1995 Manches Corporate Survey shows companies are more discerning about which solicitors to hire, and that they are considering taking on more in-house lawyers. “There […]
HERTFORDSHIRE County Council has overcome “immensely complicated” legal pitfalls and helped to secure a u30 million loan for a housing association. Lawyers working on the deal have come up with a scheme which satisfies all sides, despite the recent Allerdale v Credit Suisse case which led to uncertainty over the legality of guarantees. Banks were […]
ABOLITION of the year and a day rule should be put on the statute book as soon as possible, according to Law Commissioner Stephen Silber QC. Silber, responsible for criminal law, says the almost unanimous support to abolish the centuries-old law is proof of the need for swift action. A commission report says the rule […]
LAWYERS acting for pregnant women sacked from the services are eagerly awaiting the outcome of an employment appeal tribunal hearing. Hundreds of women with outstanding claims for aggravated damages could be affected by an appeal against an interlocutory judgment on discovery of Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents. Leeds Industrial Tribunal has ordered the MoD to […]
GOVERNMENT plans for the Courts Service Next Steps Agency due for launch in April will result in a ten per cent reduction in numbers of court staff over three years. It will also mean more court fee hikes and a cost-saving drive to close the widening shortfall in civil court income. A copy of the […]