Legal Services

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to become a distinct legal entity within the Law Society Group, potentially triggering a difficult debate over the division of £73m of reserves.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/law-society-hives-off-sra-but-who-keeps-73m-of-reserves?utm_source=iContact%2BWeekly%2BNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=legal-futures&utm_content=

An accountant found to have “improperly” issued a report to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) about a law firm has been severely reprimanded by his regulator.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/accountant-severely-reprimanded-over-sra-report

The legal sector is embracing a brave new world of providing legal services. We are no longer able to meet with clients face to face and are encountering difficulties in remaining regulatory compliant at a time when legal services are still in high demand.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/associate-news/onboarding-clients-when-working-remotely

More than half of barristers’ chambers will go out of business within six months if they do not receive financial support from the government during the coronavirus crisis, the Bar Council has warned.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/most-chambers-face-collapse-without-government-cash

There have been a lot of developments in case law surrounding fundamental dishonesty since the case of Fairclough Homes Limited (Appellant) v Summers (Respondent) [2012] UKSC 26 when the Court held that it does have the power under Court rules to strike out a Claimant’s case in its entirety.

https://www.trethowans.com/news/new-statement-of-truth-underlines-commitment-to-tackle-fraud

The trial of nine lawyers over an alleged plot to scam £11m from the legal aid system was abandoned last Friday after several counsel withdrew to self-isolate.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/legal-aid-fraud-trial-stopped-as-barristers-self-isolate

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has finally issued guidance to those it regulates on dealing with the coronavirus, stressing it will be “pragmatic” when taking action over rule breaches related to the pandemic.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/sra-will-take-pragmatic-approach-to-breaches-during-pandemic?utm_source=iContact%2BWeekly%2BNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=legal-futures&utm_content=

Advice setting out what the Legal Aid Agency is doing to help providers continue legal aid services for clients during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The High Court in London has decided that a group of 240 investors can get access to documents held by an investment scheme’s lawyers because they have established a “strong case”, on the face of it, that the scheme was fraudulent.

https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/court-disclosure-documents-strong-case-fraud

Barristers who follow government or Public Health England guidance on Covid-19 will not be in breach of their professional obligations, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) stressed yesterday.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/covid-19-round-up-bsb-reassures-barristers-about-rule-breaches?utm_source=iContact%2BWeekly%2BNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=legal-futures&utm_content=