ProfessionThe Joint Advocacy Group (JAG) has published the revised timetable for the implementation of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA).
Sierra Leone initiativeA special interest group has been established by the Bar Council under the chairmanship of Mrs Justice Dobbs to co-ordinate the pro bono work being carried out in the Sierra Leonean justice system by UK-based organisations.
The Bar Council will have a signifi cant presence at the Commonwealth Law Conference in Cape Town which is one of the best opportunities to make connections with an estimated 1,000 attending leading international practitioners from other common law jurisdictions.
ProfessionThe Supreme Court has ruled against extending legal professional privilege (LPP) to non-lawyers, following a case put forward by financial services group Prudential, requesting its extension to protect advice given by accountants.
Please note that from February, the Legal Ombudsman’s time limit for accepting complaints will increase to six years from the date of the act or omission or three years from when the complainant should have reasonably known there were grounds for complaint.
CriminalA shorter, streamlined version of the Code for Crown Prosecutors has been published following a three-month public consultation.
ProfessionPublic access barrister training is to be overhauled, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has announced.
Please remember that the deadline for renewal of practising certifi cates is 31 March 2013.
FamilyJudges have been given greater powers over expert evidence in family proceedings.
Legal aidCriminal Silks could be the latest target of the legal aid budget cuts, the Lord Chancellor has revealed.
London
As we continue to grow domestically and internationally, we are inviting King’s Counsel (Silk) to join our chambers.
The age of criminal responsibility, extreme weather and conflict resolution – plus, new protocol for reporting bullying at the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
Barrister apprenticeships shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP discusses her decade as a trade union and employment law barrister, the demands of life as a Law Officer and the number one priority shaping her work. Interview by Anthony Inglese CB
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
At least not that way, says Richard Paige