News

29 June - 1 July (TBC)

The Bar Council is working on a major promotional opportunity for the Bar in Russia. “English Law Week” will be a three-day programme featuring substantive
seminars on arbitration and litigation in the UK, as well as on transactional and regulatory matters.

All barristers who have at some point received payments on account for civil work from the Legal Services Commission will know that the LSC has the right to recoup any overpayments which become apparent on final taxation and assesment. 

Civil litigation

A Bar Council working group has been set up to explore the viability of a Contingency Legal Aid Fund (CLAF) in the wake of the government’s announcement on civil litigation costs.

INTERNATIONAL REPORT

• International Committee 

The Bar European Group (BEG), Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR), Criminal Bar Association (CBA), Family Law Bar Association (FLBA), London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA) and the Technology and Construction Bar Association (TECBAR)

Profession

The Law Commission has proposed more stringent procedures on expert evidence to prevent defendants being wrongfully convicted on the basis of flawed evidence.

International

More advocates-general and judges are needed at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) if “crisis” is to be averted, a House of Lords’ report has found.

The BSB has been piloting the development of an aptitude test following recommendations made by the Bar Vocational Course Review Group, chaired by Derek Wood QC.

The Bar Standards Board is in the process of making an application to the Legal Services Board to make minor amendments to the Bar Training Regulations and the Code of Conduct, in light of the recent implementation of the Academic, Vocational and Pupillage Reviews.

Family

The Family Law Bar has welcomed proposals to develop an integrated Family Justice Service and to cut back on delays.

Tribunals update

The Tribunals Service is coping with the demands of an increased workload. In the 11 months up to February 2011, it received a quarter more appeals than in the previous 11 months, but cleared 36 per cent more, according to the latest statistics.