Law and the Justice System

The High Court has put a permanent stop to years of vexatious litigation pursued by a struck-off solicitor against the Law Society, Bar Council, senior judges and many others.

The Law Commission has rejected pleas from the legal profession to narrow the rule that all criminal activity that generates funds or other property is caught by the anti-money laundering regime.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/law-commission-rejects-lawyers-plea-to-narrow-aml-reporting

A woman who faked cancer to trick a charity has been ordered to repay more than £26,000.

A magistrate from North Lambeth has been given a suspended sentence for her part in a £61,500 fraud, following an investigation by Metropolitan Police detectives.

https://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/9935

A West London solicitor has hit with a £500,000 confiscation order for repeatedly disregarding warnings from his local council to stop using a home as an office for his firm.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/solicitor-hit-with-500k-poca-fine-for-using-house-as-office

On 11 June 2019, the Cyber-Attacks (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/956) (the “U.K. Regulations”) come into force in the United Kingdom. The U.K. Regulations implement the domestic requirements of EU Regulation (2019/796), which sets out restrictive measures against cyber-attacks (i.e., malicious cyber activities) threatening the European Union or its Member States.

https://www.ropesgray.com/en/newsroom/alerts/2019/05/Cyber-Attacks-Asset-Freezing-Regulations-2019

The High Court has rejected an appeal by a couple jailed for harassing the family judge who heard their “long and contentious litigation” over an adoption.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/high-court-rejects-appeal-by-couple-jailed-for-harassing-judge

On February 12 2019 the UK Parliament passed the Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Act 2019 (the “COPO Act”). This new law gives UK authorities (including the Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) and the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”)) the power to apply to a UK court to compel a company or individual operating or based outside the UK to provide electronic data stored outside the UK.

http://www.mondaq.com/uk/x/807354/White+Collar+Crime+Fraud/The+Long+Arm+Of+The+Law+Gets+Longer+UK+Introduces+Overseas+Production+Orders

A scheme allowing lawyers to enter courts and tribunals without a full security search is to be rolled out nationally after a successful pilot, HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has announced.

https://www.litigationfutures.com/news/hmcts-to-roll-out-national-court-entry-scheme-for-lawyers

Taxpayers must foot the bill for a fail fraud prosecution brought by a millionaire solicitor, a judge ruled yesterday.

https://www.scottishlegal.com/article/england-taxpayers-to-foot-bill-for-failed-fraud-prosecution-brought-by-millionaire