Lawyers should be alert to the problems of the mentally disordered when dealing with clients in custody, says charity Mencap. It says lawyers should not hesitate to call in an appropriate adult under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, if they feel a client has difficulty understanding or communicating his or her needs. Mencap […]
* Local authorities are being called on to introduce tough new measures to eliminate the threat of racial violence. A motion passed at the recent Law Centres Federation (LCF) annual general meeting, says the “failure by local authorities to acknowledge the true prevalence and impact of racial harassment and violence” is a serious cause of […]
Members of pension funds who believe their trustees may be guilty of misconduct will not get justice. Anecdotal evidence suggests there are a number of instances where pension fund trustees are not being brought to book. The grievous problem that members face is how to finance an action against their trustees and possibly their employers. […]
HARDWICKE Building is to take on two new women barristers as part of long-term plans to build Britain’s first 100-strong set. The Lincoln’s Inn chambers now has 56 tenants, including 15 women. The two will work as part of the chambers’ growing civil department. Julia Jarzabkowski will work in property and commercial, while Emily Formby […]
PROFESSOR Dawn Oliver has joined 2 Hare Court along with two new tenants, taking the total number of barristers at the chambers to 43. Oliver is a professor of constitutional law at University College, London. She is working with several other barristers at 2 Hare Court, including Lord Lester QC, on producing a reissue of […]
EDWARD GORDON EMMANUEL BOWMAN, who practised as Edward Bowman and Co and who was struck off in 1987, refused restoration to Roll. Bowman, admitted 1981, struck off after allegations substantiated he misused client money and breached accounting rules. Bowman said that since being struck off he had found it difficult to gain employment. He was […]
SOLICITORS were warned this week to provide the cash for their practising certificates or risk being struck off and sued by clients. Lawyers who miss the 1 November deadline could be forced to pay back fees, it has emerged. Each year the Law Society cancels about 3,000 certificates. The majority are solicitors’ who alert the […]
Sir Louis Blom-Cooper QC is to take over as chair of the charity Victim Support. Blom-Cooper, vice-president of the Howard League for Penal Reform, will succeed Mary Tuck CBE at the charity’s AGM this month. His involvement with issues relating to the victims of crime include chairing the committee on the current Criminal Injuries Compensation […]
DENTON Hall aims to extend its capital markets work in the Czech Republic by firming up the country’s regulatory structure. The firm says the Czech regulatory structure may be unable to properly protect the new class of capital markets funding about to come on stream from individual investors, whose funds will be handled by the […]
LIVERPOOL’s legal community has been rocked by a Solicitor’s Complaints Bureau (SCB) emergency intervention over 18-office legal aid firm Deacon Goldrein Green – the biggest ever law firm collapse involving the bureau. The fate of the firm’s lawyers and staff hangs in the balance this week as the appointed intervening firms get to grips with […]
* Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council has appointed Brendan Kearney as its head of legal services. Kearney was previously acting regional solicitor following the early retirement of previous incumbent John Fleming.
LAW firms could be prevented from handling discrete investment business (DIB) next year if they do not have qualified people in charge of the area, the Law Society has warned. The society has received only 70 applications so far from people wanting approval as a “qualified person” to handle DIB. Speaking at the Solicitors for […]