The Bar Council launched a Public Access training programme for its members, at St Johns Buildings in Manchester in November. Since 31 March 2010, barristers who have completed an approved training course have been able to take instructions directly from members of the public. The course will cover the relevant rules as well as client care and communication skills.
Calls for Royal Commission to examine consitutional framework
It is time for a close look at the British constitution, the Master of the Rolls has said.
Lord Bingham was awarded a posthumous lifetime achievement award at Liberty’s Human Rights Awards in 2010 for his contribution to the British judiciary. Karen Monaghan QC, of Matrix Chambers, was voted human rights lawyer of the year, and Young Legal Aid Lawyers won the human rights young person of the year award.
Use of direct access – where clients instruct a barrister directly as opposed to via a solicitor – is soaring as corporate counsel seek to cut costs during the economic downturn.
Nichola Higgins, of 15 New Bridge Street, is the new Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee (“YBC”) of the Bar Council. She said: “2011 will pave the way for significant legal aid reform and the emergence of new business structures.
Lord Justice Leveson, the senior presiding judge in England and Wales, has expressed concerns about the high numbers of penalty notices and other out of court disposals of justice.
All practitioners are required to return a record card indicating the CPD hours that they have completed in 2010 under the New or Established Practitioners Programme.
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has announced that Dr Vanessa Davies, a non-practising barrister, is to take the helm of the barrister regulator in December this year.
The rise in the use of mediation carries risks, the Master of the Rolls has warned. Delivering the inaugural Gordon Slynn memorial lecture, Lord Neuberger said: “Mediation is a complement to, but must never be a substitute for, justice.
UCL Laws has launched the Judicial Institute, the UK’s first research centre focusing on the judiciary.
Isle of Man
Applications are invited for the appointment of His Majesty’s Attorney General in the Isle of Man.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
Responding to criticism on the narrow profile of government-instructed counsel, Mel Nebhrajani CB describes the system-wide change at GLD to drive fairer distribution of work and broader development of talent
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse