Paper wills could be destroyed under proposed storage reforms
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (19 December 2023) Paper wills from 1858 onwards could be destroyed under proposed government reforms to save storage costs. Preserving original paper wills and supporting documents in probate applications costs £4.5m a year, according to a Ministry of Justice consultation published last week – with the figure expected to rise every year. ‘Given […]
High Court showdown over criminal legal aid
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (12 December 2023) Today marks a watershed moment for criminal legal aid as a High Court showdown opens between the Law Society and government over solicitors’ fees. In court 3 of the Royal Courts of Justice, Lord Justice Singh and Mr Justice Jay will hear a judicial review over the government’s decision […]
New Rwanda treaty – but Society remains concerned
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (5 December 2023) The Law Society has questioned how a new UK-Rwanda signed today overcomes a ruling made by the Supreme Court that found the government’s plan for sending asylum seekers to Rwanda to be unlawful. Last month, the UK’s highest court upheld the Court of Appeal’s conclusion that there were […]
Dozens of conveyancing firms paralysed by cyber attack
By John Hyde >> (28 November 2023) Conveyancers affected by a cyber attack on an IT services provider have been urged to keep all other lawyers in the chain informed. Around 80 firms have been unable to complete transactions following a service outage affecting IT provider CTS. Dozens of clients hoping to move into their new […]
Law Society research confirms London is most attractive centre for commercial litigation and international arbitration
By Gazette Reporter >> (30 October 2023) London is still the most attractive centre for commercial litigation and international arbitration, outperforming other global dispute resolution hubs, the Law Society confirms in a new report published today. The report on the global position of English law finds that the London Commercial Court is the leading centre for international […]
King’s speech announces legislation on criminal sentencing and leasehold reform
By Gazette newsdesk >> (7 November 2023) As widely trailed to the national media, reforms to criminal sentencing and the leasehold system feature heavily in the government’s legislative programme in the runup to the general election expected in autumn 2024. Measures announced in the king’s speech today include: The king’s speech also announced legislation to make […]
Criminal court backlog hits record high of almost 65,000 cases
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (29 September 2023) The Crown court backlog has reached a record high, according to alarming new data released by the Ministry of Justice. Criminal court statistics for April to June, published yesterday, reveal 64,709 outstanding cases in the Crown court – a 4% increase on the previous quarter and the highest backlog […]
SQE2 pass rate up – but ethnic attainment gap continues to yawn
By Monidipa Fouzder >> (23 August 2023) Latest results for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination show that ethnic disparities in pass rates remain stubbornly intractable – in a process that was designed to boost diversity. Exam results for 996 candidates who sat SQE2 in April were released yesterday. SQE2, which also tests practical skills, is marked using […]
New coalition seeks to drive e-conveyancing
By Michael Cross >> (3 August 2023) More than 20 years after ‘e-conveyancing’ was enabled in law, a coalition of legal, government and business groups has been set up in the latest attempt to make it reality. The Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) will represent legal professional bodies – including the Law Society – government […]
