Legal Services

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned law firms to be on the alert for fraudster infiltrators after incidents at two small practices led to potential losses of over £7m.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/sra-warns-on-fraudster-infiltrators-as-small-firms-lose-7m

A former chairman of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has publicly rebuked one of his predecessors over his criticisms of the association’s negotiations with the government over the advocates’ graduated fees scheme (AGFS).

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/ex-cba-chairs-in-war-of-words-over-legal-aid-deal

The new director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is to call on the legal sector’s “expertise” to help in the fight against crime.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/new-sfo-chief-turns-to-lawyers-for-help-tackling-crime

An immigration lawyer who “wrongly claimed” £800,000 from the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/immigration-lawyer-wrongly-claimed-800000-in-legal-aid

Robing rooms may be a private sanctuary for barristers but they cannot be viewed as a “no-go area” for their regulator, the High Court has ruled.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/robing-room-is-not-a-no-go-area-for-barristers-regulator

A new rule putting the parties under an explicit obligation to disclose to the other side communications with the court could disadvantage litigants in person (LiPs), the Bar Council has warned.

https://www.litigationfutures.com/news/bar-council-new-open-justice-rule-could-disadvantage-litigants-in-person

A barrister who failed to give “unwelcome advice” to an “over-enthusiastic client” about a private criminal prosecution has been suspended for a month by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/barrister-who-failed-to-give-unwelcome-advice-suspended

Solicitors convicted separately of head-butting another parent at a children’s rugby match and making fraudulent expenses claims to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have both been struck off.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/solicitors-convicted-of-gbh-and-expenses-fraud-struck-off

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) was told yesterday that it will be held to account over how it deals with poor-quality criminal advocacy.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/bsb-will-be-held-to-account-over-poor-criminal-advocacy

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has updated a warning notice issued less than a year ago to reflect the new issues that have arisen since then as the crackdown on misconduct over sickness claims continues.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/sra-outlines-new-concerns-around-holiday-sickness-claims