News

The BSB has recently seen an unprecedented increase in the level of complaints received from litigants in person. In the first six months of this year, 35 such complaints were received. This is the highest number of complaints received from this source in the last decade and is greater than the total number of complaints received during 2009 and 2010 combined.

In April 2011 we decided that barristers should be permitted to practice as managers or employees of Alternative Business Structures (ABSs) regulated by other Approved Regulators when Part 5 of the Legal Services Act 2007 comes into force.

Arbitration

The Supreme Court in Jivray v Hashwani has held that arbitrators are not employees for the purpose of anti-discrimination legislation.

Judges Tweet

The Judicial office now has a twitter account, and had more than 700 followers at the time of going to press. Tweets on the latest judgments, reports, consultations or other items of interest can be found on twitter.com at @JudiciaryUK.

All pupillages commencing training from 1 September 2011 must be funded at least £12,000 a year in accordance with the funding increase outlined in Annex R of the Code of Conduct.

All pupils commencing pupillage from 1 September 2011 must register their pupillage by completing a 2011/2012 pupillage registration form. Pupils will be sent a confirmation email confirming registration of pupillage and outlining requirements in relation to the compulsory pupils’ courses. The pupillage handbook will be sent out to all those who have successfully registered their pupillage.

Legal Aid

The Chairman of the Bar has called on the Lord Chancellor to “think again about the total costs” of the changes to legal aid.

In a detailed letter to the Lord Chancellor (a copy of which is available on the Bar Council website), Peter Lodder QC refers to “widespread anger” among the publicly funded Bar about the way their views have been ignored.

criminal

The Bar Council has been working to resolve delays in the payment of Crown court legal aid fees and travel expenses to criminal law barristers by the Legal Services Commission (LSC).

The Law Reform Essay Competition for 2011 is again generously sponsored by the Bar Council Scholarship Trust.

The competition, which is open to law students and pupils, invites entrants to submit an essay of not more than 3,000 words, which identifies and makes the case for a law reform that is desirable, practical and useful.

law reform

The Law Commission has set out its research agenda for the next four years.