*/
“Unanswered questions” remain over whether alternative business structures (ABSs) should have been permitted, Alistair MacDonald QC, told a conference in the US.
The Bar chair raised concerns in a speech to the Australian Bar Association in Boston in July, weeks after the Bar Standards Board submitted its application to the Legal Services Board to become an ABS regulator.
MacDonald said there are a “raft of concerns and questions” about independence and conflicts of interest.
He asked whether in criminal legal aid it was “appropriate” to have entities whose primary purpose is maximising profit.
ABSs, he suggested, may be an example of the government’s “insatiable appetite to tinker with institutions without fully appreciating the effects of their actions”.
“Unanswered questions” remain over whether alternative business structures (ABSs) should have been permitted, Alistair MacDonald QC, told a conference in the US.
The Bar chair raised concerns in a speech to the Australian Bar Association in Boston in July, weeks after the Bar Standards Board submitted its application to the Legal Services Board to become an ABS regulator.
MacDonald said there are a “raft of concerns and questions” about independence and conflicts of interest.
He asked whether in criminal legal aid it was “appropriate” to have entities whose primary purpose is maximising profit.
ABSs, he suggested, may be an example of the government’s “insatiable appetite to tinker with institutions without fully appreciating the effects of their actions”.
Chair of the Bar sets out a busy calendar for the rest of the year
Why Virtual Assistants Can Meet the Legal Profession’s Exacting Standards
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Examined by Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
Time is precious for barristers. Every moment spent chasing paperwork, organising diaries, or managing admin is time taken away from what matters most: preparation, advocacy and your clients. That’s where Eden Assistants step in
AlphaBiolabs has announced its latest Giving Back donation to RAY Ceredigion, a grassroots West Wales charity that provides play, learning and community opportunities for families across Ceredigion County
Despite increased awareness, why are AI hallucinations continuing to infiltrate court cases at an alarming rate? Matthew Lee investigates
The proscribing of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act is an assault on the English language and on civil liberties, argues Paul Harris SC, founder of the Bar Human Rights Committee
Come in with your eyes open, but don’t let fear cloud the prospect. A view from practice by John Dove
Anon Academic explains why he’s leaving the world of English literature for the Bar – after all, the two are not as far apart as they may first seem...
Review by Stephen Cragg KC
