PADLS News

Your weekly Law Society update 19 October 2020

20/10/2020

Dear colleague,

Your weekly Law Society update

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.

Website

Our new website and the new My LS are now live. Please register to see content tailored to your practice and interests. Thanks to all members who have fed back during development. Feedback is still welcome. Registering with My LS will also help you understand the benefit to your constituents.

Find a Solicitor Service

Whilst the Law Society is not able to give legal advice, if you have a client who needs advice in a practice area other than your own, our Find a Solicitor service is available to help them find a legal professional who can help. They can use the service by visiting solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk or by calling 020 7320 5650.

We have been in the media this week to promote the role and value of the profession in these difficult times

This week, as part of my inauguration interviews, I was featured in the Guardian talking about the issues facing solicitors, including rhetoric from the government denigrating “lefty human rights lawyers”.

“These are lawyers doing their job, whether it’s in immigration or criminal defence work. They are upholding the law as it stands. Yet they are being criticised,” said David Greene.

“We are in a febrile climate. We have huge uncertainties brought about by Covid-19. There is the added uncertainty over Brexit. We have to go back to basics: rule of law, access to justice and independence of the judiciary.”

I also spoke to Sky Business about how the legal services sector is preparing for Brexit and why the government must avoid rhetoric which blames immigration lawyers for simply doing their jobs.

And to the Times (£) about the issues facing solicitors, including rhetoric from the government denigrating “lefty human rights lawyers”.

“Politicians should be careful in their words when in this particular atmosphere and have to avoid the rhetoric of blaming lawyers when solicitors and barristers are simply doing their jobs,” said David Greene. Also covered by Scottish Legal News.

The Gazette reported on solicitor members of the Law Society being given the chance to vote on reforms of the organisation.

Proposed reforms, passed at this week’s AGM – live streamed for the first time - included limiting council members’ tenures to 12 years and reducing the number of geographical constituencies.

Legal Futures covered the same story. I’m quoted: “By this proposal the number of geographical seats will be reduced while increasing seats for others including in-house lawyers, junior lawyers and women.

“In line with the democratic decision of the AGM we will now move quickly to enable members to vote on this important issue.”

Solicitors Journal (£) and New Law Journal also ran stories about my inauguration.

The Guardian covered lawyers’ claims that a threatened knife attack against an immigration solicitor was inspired by the government’s rhetoric. Outgoing Law Society president Simon Davis said: “We are monitoring the situation closely and urge both government and media to be mindful of the rhetoric they employ. The role of solicitors is to apply and uphold the laws set down by parliament and they have a right to do so on behalf of their clients without intimidation.”

The Gazette, Independent, Irish Legal News, MSN, Yahoo News, World News, covered the same story. Articles note pressure is growing on government to apologise for the language that has been employed by ministers denouncing lawyers.

Mickaël Laurans, our head of international, spoke with Asian Legal Business about the UK’s relationship with the Asia-Pacific upon our exit from the EU in January.

“The UK has strong historical, cultural and economic links with the region which are buttressed by the English language and the role English law plays in international commercial transactions. Asia is and will remain a priority for both the UK government and the Law Society in its international work,” he said.

City A.M, Personnel Today, Independent and MSN reported that a House of Lords’ EU services subcommittee report found that the UK’s accountants, recruiters, architects, advertisers and lawyers are at risk of losing contracts and jobs when Britain formally leaves the EU in January.

New Law Journal provided new information on the backlog of cases in England’s Magistrates and Crown Courts.

HM Courts and Tribunal figures from September found that there are 509,347 outstanding cases in the Magistrates Courts and 48,713 in the Crown Court.

Simon Davis said: “The latest figures bear out our warning that after years of underfunding and cuts, there was already a significant backlog in the criminal courts, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The Gazette reported courts and tribunals service has people with coronavirus symptoms not to come to court despite acknowledging that the law permits people in England to break self-isolation rules.

Also in the Gazette reports trials are being listed for 2022 as the Crown court backlog soars towards 50,000. Simon Davis said: “Justice is being delayed for victims, witnesses and defendants, who have proceedings hanging over them for months, if not years, with some trials now being listed for 2022.”

Further coverage of the Crown court backlogs in the Hampshire Chronicle and Andover Advertiser.

Legal Futures and Today’s Wills & Probate reported on the launch of our LawTech, ethics and rule of law discussion paper, which seeks views on the ethical considerations solicitors and firms have in designing or procuring LawTech solutions.

I said: “Behaving ethically is at the heart of what it means to be a solicitor, and, as we rely ever more on technology in our day-to-day business, this paper will seek views on whether lawtech principles will benefit the legal sector.”

Central Housing Group detailed our view that eviction proceedings are in need of wider reform, a month after the stay on evictions was lifted after six months in response to Covid-19.

Simon Davis said: “It is unacceptable that, in the face of a pandemic and difficult economic prospects, tenants are being left without representation during possession proceedings.”

The Daily Mail covered what to include in your will and cites our find a solicitor service.

Public Law Today reported our view that the Independent Review of Administrative Law must protect the six fundamental principles of judicial review.

Law360 (£), the Solicitors Journal (£), Practice Source, Today’s Conveyancer, the Gazette, LexisPSL Risk and Compliance (£) LexisLibrary Profession and Ethics (£) and Australasian Lawyer reported our response to a government consultation on the proposed economic crime levy, which will help fund the tackle against money laundering.

Simon Davis said that the levy is a special tax on the profession, nothing: “Further increasing the costs of doing business impacts the competitiveness of the UK legal sector, and the willingness of law firms to invest in the UK.

“This is compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has seen large parts of the profession take measures to keep their firms running, while simultaneously preparing for the end of the Brexit transition.”

Regulation

This week the Law Society submitted our response to the government consultation on the economic crime levy. Whilst the legal profession has a strong interest in a successful, effective and proportionate anti-money laundering regime, we strongly opposed the imposition of the levy warning that such a levy could be harmful to the profession and would represent an additional tax. In our response, we argued that in the event the levy is imposed:

it would be more appropriately calculated through a model based suspicious activity reports (SARs);
it should include an exemption for small firms with a revenue of under £10.2 million a year; and
be based, if a revenue model is used, on AML regulated related activity only.

The consultation is now closed and we expect the government to announce the outcomes of the consultation in the first quarter of 2021. In the meantime, we continue to engage with stakeholders, government officials and ministers to ensure our position is well understood.
Click here to view our full response.

Justice

Remote hearings in the family justice system – consultation response
We’ve responded to the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory's (NFJO) rapid consultation on remote and hybrid hearings in the family justice system. They are continuing their work to support a system-wide understanding of how family justice practices have been shaped by COVID-19 – how approaches have changed, where this has resulted in positive practice innovation and what challenges and difficulties have emerged.

We reiterate the point made in our response to the NFJO’s initial consultation: that access to justice must be preserved and the rule of law upheld. As the rate of infections continues to increase across England and Wales and the safety implications connected with conducting face-to-face hearings remain significant, we still believe proceeding with remote hearings is usually better than delaying them. However, decisions need to be made on a case by case basis, weighing the importance and urgency of the issue against the suitability of proceeding remotely. This must take into account the nature of the hearing and any vulnerabilities of the parties.

Read more here: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/campaigns/consultation-responses/remote-hearings-in-the-family-justice-system-rapid-consultation-the-law-society-response

Update to the non-contentious probate rules: mandating online professional applications
Last month we responded to the government’s consultation on non-contentious probate: mandating online professional applications in which we stated that we agree in principle with making online applications compulsory for all professional applications. However, due to solicitors experiencing teething problems with the new system HMCTS must ensure that issues are resolved and the system is fit for purpose before it is fully rolled out and the new rules come into force.

The government has published its response and has decided to:

Mandate the use of the online service for grants of probate applications by professional users, with a number of exceptions for more specialised applications
Continue to allow professional user applications for grants of letters of administration to be made via either the online process or the traditional method of applying to a Registry.

The new rules come into force on 2 November 2020. However there will be a grace period until 30 November 2020 when paper applications will still be accepted. The Law Society continues to host the probate service user group meetings with HMCTS and we will follow up the concerns we have highlighted on the rules in relation to cases involving powers of attorney.
Read more here: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/campaigns/court-reform/news/update-to-the-non-contentious-probate-rules-mandating-online-professional-applications

Lawtech, Ethics and The Rule of Law

We published our Lawtech, Ethics and The Rule of Law discussion paper this week. Earlier this year, we conducted a series of 30 interviews with law firms, sole practitioners and alternative business structures to understand how lawtech solutions are designed, developed, used and/or procured and the ethical considerations that come into play throughout this process. We welcome the views of solicitors, law firms, lawtech companies and any other stakeholders that are part of or affected by the lawtech sector. Responses to the paper are requested by email to parliamentary@lawsociety.org.uk by 17 November 2020. An expert group will examine the findings and a report with recommendations will be published shortly afterwards.

Public Law

Mental Health
Throughout the pandemic, the Law Society has been calling for the removal of the Coronavirus Act provisions which weaken the Mental Health Act, and have not been used in England or Wales. The government confirmed it will drop these provisions, which we have published an update of on our website.

We also published a blog post this week, to assist members in making financial deputyship applications to the Court of Protection and avoid potential delays.

Parliamentary

On Thursday we celebrated my inauguration as president. I gave a speech outlining my priorities for this year before being interviewed by Clive Coleman, BBC legal affairs correspondent. This was followed by messages of congratulation and support from the lord chancellor, who spoke about the negative rhetoric towards lawyers, and the lord chief justice who spoke about the importance of the rule of law and court reform. My speech can be read here and the lord chancellor’s speech will be available shortly on the website.

Diversity & Inclusion

Survey – Career experiences of BAME lawyers

We have been working with the Ethnic Minority Lawyers Division on a programme of research on the career experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic lawyers.

Following a series of roundtables held earlier this year, we have launched a sector wide survey to capture obstacles and opportunities of a wider group, examine the challenges identified through the roundtables and collect views on how these challenges can be collectively addressed.

Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey before 23 October 2020. Take the survey.

The future is disability inclusion

Join us on Monday 2 November from 12:30 - 14:00 for the launch of the Legally Disabled survey findings on the impact of Covid-19 on the professional lives of disabled lawyers.

This is a chance for individuals and organisations interested in improving disability inclusion to learn what has worked and what has not during the pandemic, and what could be done better in the future.

Book your place

Fiona Woolf lecture

Our annual Fiona Woolf lecture will be taking place virtually this year on Thursday 19 November.

As always, we will be celebrating the achievements of Dame Fiona Woolf and other inspirational women who have reached senior positions within the sector.

We will be focusing on the positive contribution made by women in the profession and how both intersectionality and diversity enhances organisations and the legal profession.

Book your place

Update from our Brussels Office

On 13 October, Helena Raulus, head of office along with Evanna Fruithof, Bar Council of England & Wales met with Sujeevan Satheesan and Sasha Trevelyan from UKMIS to discuss the state of play in the UK – EU negotiations.
On 13 October, Helena Raulus spoke at the British Chamber of Commerce webinar on Lugano on the consequences of not having a solution to the recognition and enforcement of judgments for businesses and consumers.
On 14 October, the Brussels office hosted a webinar on the impact of Covid-19 on trade in services. Panellists were: Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director, European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE); Alexandra Cardenas, head of public affairs, COVID-19 content manager & LawTech lead at the Law Society of England & Wales and Martin Roy, counsellor in the Trade in Services Division, World Trade Organization (WTO). Anna Drozd, EU policy adviser moderated the discussion.
On 15 October, Helena Raulus spoke at the Simmons & Simmons Autumn legal update for their clients on the Law Society work on recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters.

Finally, can I pay tribute to the longest serving President in the Society's long history, Simon Davis who was outstanding in his and the Society's response to the pandemic and all that it threw at the profession and public. It is an honour to follow in his footsteps. I express the gratitude of the profession when I say "Thank you Simon for all you have done!"

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards,

David

David Greene
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1P

Follow-up from LLS calls with Simon Davis (5 & 8 October 2020)

19/10/2020

Dear all,

Thank you for joining us in our recent roundtables with Simon Davis. As mentioned, all your feedback is incredibly valuable and helps us shape our priorities and direction. I have fed back all insights from the sessions to the relevant areas of the business, and shall keep in touch with any updates.

I thought it would be useful to highlight the key areas that were raised in each session, along with the latest information/ updates we have:

Reset, Resilience and Recovery
Our rebranded campaign aims to support solicitors and firms to reset their practices to best serve their clients – whether working remotely or from the office; helping solicitors and firms to increase business resilience; and empowering solicitors and firms to drive the recovery after coronavirus.

A few key pieces of guidance:

Latest webinars

Becoming a virtual or dispersed firm post-lockdown
Our Head of Risk and Compliance, Pearl Moses, has recently recorded a webinar on virtual supervisions

Courts
HMCTS is investing £1 billion in its 7 year reform programme to modernise the courts and tribunals system and digitise services. We agree that a modernised court service would be of benefit to all users, but that it must not come at the expense of justice. We’re engaging with HMCTS to ensure our members’ and their clients’ needs are considered, and we’re helping our members to understand and adapt to the changes.

In March, we worked with the MoJ and HMTS to keep courts running effectively during covid-19, using technology wherever possible. In April, we published an interactive heatmap showing the building status of courts and tribunals in England and Wales during the pandemic. In May, we responded to the Civil Justice Council’s rapid consultation on the impact of covid-19 measures on the civil justice system and welcomed the reopening of 4 Crown Courts to resume jury trials.

We will continue to liaise with stakeholders such as the MoJ, Home Office, Prisons Service, HMCTS and the LAA to ensure that the best safety measures are in place for solicitors who have to attend clients in environments such as police stations, courts, prisons, hospitals and care homes.

We also have some updated guidance on keeping members safe in court and prepared for potential lockdowns and an interactive map showing the status of Nightingale Courts.

There is also more information about Cloud Video Platform (CVP) for video hearings, how to use this and compatible browsers here.

Closure of SIF
After successfully persuading the SRA to postpone the closure of SIF for a year, the Law Society is working with the regulator and leading brokers and underwriters in the insurance industry to find workable solutions for the provision of post six year run-off cover (PSYROC). Firms that are currently in run-off or considering closure should contact their broker to see if they can arrange for cover to be extended beyond the mandatory six years. Research produced for the SRA suggests around 12 percent of claims occur more than six years after firms have closed.

Tech: Safely delivering legal services online
We’ve published resources to help members delivering legal services during the pandemic:

Do let me know if there’s anything I may have missed, or any areas where you would like further information and I shall happily send this through.

All the best,

Beth

Beth Quinn (She/Her)
Relationship Management Executive – London, South East, East
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
Tel: 020 8049 3755 / 07791161328
www.lawsociety.org.uk / @LSLondonandSE

The Law Society of England & Wales - AGM (Wed 14th October 2020 at 2:30pm)

7/10/2020

Dear Members of The Law Society,

Please can I draw your attention to the AGM of The Law Society of England & Wales (“TLS”), which will be held online at 2:30pm on Wednesday 14th October. This will be an important meeting, because in addition to approving the Annual Report and the Annual Accounts (uncontroversial) the AGM will also consider two Resolutions for the reform of TLS Council.

Here is a link to the relevant part of TLS website for the AGM Notice and relevant documents: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/news-articles/annual-general-meeting-notice-october-2020

Resolutions 1 and 2

Approval of the Annual Report and the Annual Accounts.

Resolution 3

At a meeting of TLS Council on 8th September 2020, a proposal for the reform of Council was approved. It is now for the membership to consider whether to accept or reject the proposal at the AGM.

The broad thrust of the reforms is to reduce substantially the number of geographical seats and increase the number of seats representing Practice Sectors (e.g. Civil Litigation and Major Corporate (firms with a t/o of more than £35M)) and specific Characteristics (e.g. Women Lawyers and Junior Lawyers (up to 6 years PQE)).

As part of the reforms, the geographical constituency of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, which I represent, will be replaced by Cambridgeshire (including Peterborough) and Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

I voted in favour of the reforms at the Council meeting, but you should of course make up your own minds.

Resolution 4

30 members of TLS (including some members of Council) have put forward a resolution, the principal purpose of which is to restrict members of Council to a maximum term of 12 years.

This would be a very significant reform, because the current position is that Council members are subject to elections every 4 years, but there is no maximum period for remaining on Council.

Registering your attendance

This is mandatory. If you do not register, you cannot attend the AGM. In order to register, you must complete an online form (including your SRA Number). You will have received a link from TLS to do this. But if you haven’t, you can email them for a registration form AGM2020@lawsociety.org.uk.

I hope you attend the AGM.

Warm wishes,

Michael

Cambridgeshire Law Society
C/O Chequers House, 77–81 Newmarket Road, Cambridge,CB5 8EU
Email: admin@cambslaw.com
Mobile: 07846 093035

Twitter: @cambslaw
Facebook: @cambslawsoc
Instagram: cambslawsoc

www.cambslaw.com

Your weekly Law Society update 7 September 2020

10/9/2020

Dear colleague,

Your weekly Law Society update

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.

Website

Our new website and the new My LS are now live. Please register to see content tailored to your practice and interests. Thanks to all members who have fed back during development. Feedback is still welcome. Registering with My LS will also help you understand the benefit to your constituents.

We have been in the media this week to promote the role and value of the profession in these difficult times

Following our statement condemning attacks on the integrity of the legal profession, the Home Office removed communications that referred to immigration lawyers who provide legal advice to migrants as ‘activist lawyers’.

The BBC reported our intervention, and the subsequent Home Office U-turn.

There was widespread media coverage of our successful intervention, including in the:
·       Financial Times (£)
·       Times (£)
·       Daily Mail
·       Evening Standard
·       Guardian
·       Gazette
·       Daily Mirror
·       Independent
·       164 regional newspapers

I spoke about the issue on BBC Radio 4 (19m 18s), on BBC London (02:08:00).
and on BBC South East television.

“To describe lawyers who are upholding the law as ‘activist lawyers’ is misleading and dangerous,” I said.

Our statement was also widely shared on social media.

The Guardian reported the criminal justice system is under pressure from three sides, with long-term underfunding leading to a shortage of defence lawyers, the end of the furlough scheme leaving firms facing renewed financial concerns, and a backlog of trials due to the coronavirus pandemic.

I said: “A profession which was already perilously underfunded before the pandemic – with defence firms sinking at alarming rate – has been plunged into even choppier waters by Covid-19.

“We believe it is inappropriate to make drastic cuts to standard monthly payments at a time when many criminal legal aid firms are hanging on for survival and defence solicitors are needed more than ever, given the huge backlog in criminal cases.”

The final two of the ten Nightingale courts opening is covered in the New Law Journal.

Welcoming the news, I said: “Investing in legal aid for early advice and legal representation would help to nip problems in the bud before they escalate and reduce the need for cases to go to court.”

The Gazette reported HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has revealed that nearly 200 courtrooms and 59 retiring rooms will be installed with plexiglass screens by the end of October.

I am quoted: “It is essential that HMCTS maximises the use of physical court space in a way that minimises the risk to court users. These measures appear to be a good method of increasing court usage safely within normal court hours.”

New Law Journal reported the Legal Aid Agency has extended the 2017 Standard Crime Contract until 31 March 2022.

I described the decision to extend as “sensible”, adding: “Beleaguered firms will be relieved not to have to cope with an imminent tender process on top of the great physical and financial strain they are already under, on call to police stations at all hours and with swathes of solicitors on furlough.”

The Gazette reported the Law Society has lodged a judicial review against the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) after they failed to consult properly around a decision to move legal aid cost assessments in-house.

“Cost assessments are vital in ensuring that when legal aid practitioners send a bill it is carefully scrutinised and they are properly paid for their work,” I said.

The Gazette reported jailed Turkish lawyer Ebru Timtik has died just weeks after international bar bodies warned of her deteriorating condition on hunger strike.

Timtik had been sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison on terrorism offences following a trial described as unfair by local and international bar associations. Earlier this month global legal bodies including the International Bar Association, the Law Society of England and Wales and Netherlands-based Lawyers for Lawyers expressed their concern about her treatment.

I joined with others to write a letter to the Independent about protests in Belarus.

“The independence of the legal profession is of the upmost importance in upholding the rule of law,” we said.

The Gazette reports that the legal profession must be more open about women experiencing the menopause at work, in guidance to mark Menopause Awareness Month.

I said: “Firms and legal businesses should try to create a culture which encourages openness, where those experiencing the menopause feel comfortable asking for the help they need to manage their symptoms.”

Also in Law.com international (£) and Legal Futures.
Lorraine Robinson, head of legal at Farewill and co-chair of our wills committee, talked to the Financial Times (£) about video witnessing of wills.

“This is a step in the direction of a more modern approach to witnessing wills – many of the laws are outdated and archaic,” she said.

The lawyer arm of Extinction Rebellion delivered letters to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Bar Council and Law Society yesterday asking them to back the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, reports the Times (£). Also covered in Legal Futures.

The Solicitors Journal reported that the SRA has identified human error as the biggest cyber risk to firms. “By taking issues like cybersecurity seriously, we ensure the public can continue to have the highest confidence in the profession,” I said.

Law360 (£), Legal Futures, Lexis PSL Insurance and Reinsurance (£) and Lexis Library Health Law (£) report that the International Underwriting Association has warned the legal sector that professional indemnity insurance (PII) could become unsustainable if underwriters aren’t given more freedom to cancel policies.

I said: “The Law Society understands the concerns of insurers and is sympathetic towards their request, but is mindful that the primary purpose of professional indemnity insurance (PII) is to protect solicitors' clients and the wider public.”

Amandeep Khasriya, a member of our women lawyers division, wrote for the New Law Journal that on the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, we must look to the future and understand the need for change, with the legal profession needing action, not promises.

I wrote in the Gazette about the Law Society Return, Restart, Recovery campaign to place solicitors within the wider context of the pandemic and discusses what is needed from HM Treasury to help the legal sector support the wider economic recovery.

Find out more about our inaugural virtual technology conference from 22 to 23 September.

The Epoch Times covered the reported legal aid costs in the trial over the death of PC Andrew Harper. I said: “An important pillar of our criminal justice system is that anyone accused of a crime is entitled to a fair trial and for that to happened they need access to a proper defence. To preserve access to justice and the rule of law, legal representation must be available to those without the means to provide it.”

Richard Atkinson, co-chair of our criminal law committee told the Telegraph (£) that if any of those convicted in the case is granted permission to appeal, they would be entitled to access legal aid.

“It is for a judge to decide whether there is merit in the appeal, and if they believe there is, they will grant access to legal aid funds but if there’s no merit in the appeal, he will not only refuse permission to appeal, but also refuse access to legal aid,” he said.

News that tenants in England facing eviction have been granted a notice period extension from three months to six months in new government legislation was covered by the Birmingham Mail, Landlord Zone, Property Wire and Landlord Today.

I said: “This notice period extension will provide relief for those tenants facing eviction, and will give vulnerable tenants the time they need to seek help and find a new place to live.”

Public Law

Family
Last week we responded to a stakeholder consultation from the Family Procedure Rules Committee on enforcing family financial orders. The consultation looked at some proposals for changes to the Family Procedure Rules and were principally aimed at making the procedure for the General Enforcement Application clearer and more effective. The response was compiled with assistance from the Family Law Committee.

Parliamentary

Act for justice and #WriteToRishi

It is vital that chancellor Rishi Sunak hears your voice for justice.

Justice spending has been falling for nearly a decade and has not been prioritised by government. Coronavirus and the lockdown have made the situation worse, the queue of criminal cases in the magistrates courts is over 500,000 and in the crown courts it exceeds 40,000. This is placing further strain on the system, with the most vulnerable struggling to get their cases heard.

This spending review is a once in a generation opportunity for our justice system.
We are calling on all solicitors to write to the chancellor to ensure that our justice system and legal services sector is equipped with the funding it needs to face the challenges of the future.

Use this quick and easy tool which takes just two minutes to complete.

Private International Law Bill second reading

Yesterday the Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons. The Law Society was mentioned twice by Sir Bob Neill MP, the Chair of the Justice Select Committee.

Neill argued that acceding to the Lugano Convention would be a step forward. He acknowledged there was debate in the Lords on sequencing of Lugano and the Hague 2019 Convention, but said that he was “persuaded by the evidence that we have heard over the years and the arguments made by the Law Society of England and Wales…that the more important thing is not to have any gap in the recognition and enforcement of judgments and recognition of international public clauses.” He went on to say that this is why “the Law Society favours pressing ahead with entry to Lugano as soon as we can” and restating his agreement.

Also discussed were parliamentary scrutiny, family law co-operation, and the devolved legislatures.

Diversity and Inclusion

Virtual D&I Conference – Master of the Rolls to speak
Join us and Leeds Law Society in keeping D&I at the forefront of the conversation.

We are hosting six virtual events, focused on a variety of topics, where we’ll be joined by esteemed speakers sharing best practice and talking through the challenges faced by individuals within the profession.

Come and be a part of the discussion.

The Master of the Rolls, Sir Terence Etherton, has now been added to the already impressive list of speakers.

Virtual President and Secretaries Conference

Join us on the 23 September 9am-12pm for an interactive and informative morning for Local Law Society representatives. You will hear from all three office holders, our Public Affairs team, our Diversity and Inclusion team and other Local Law Society representatives. Please contact your local Relationship Manager for further information, or email LLSconference@lawsociety.org.uk

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents.

Kind regards,

Simon

Simon Davis
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1P

Your weekly Law Society update 24 August 2020

26/8/2020

Published statistics from the judiciary highlighting how well the business and property courts had kept the wheels of justice turning since March. Read our press release: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us/press-office/press-releases/watershed-moment-for-business-and-property-courts-in-england-and-wales

Published a blog on the UK’s response by chancellor of the High Court Sir Geoffrey Vos

Started a social media campaign targeting domestic and international businesses to highlight the success of courts and legal profession. You can watch and share our short animation here

Launched an online hub on the response of the England and Wales to covid-19 for international audiences)

Also on Wednesday the Law Society hosted a roundtable on using legal technology to support access to justice, featuring the justice minister Alex Chalk MP. Deputy vice president Stephanie Boyce chaired the roundtable, which was also attended by a number of key stakeholders from the legal advice sector.

Diversity and Inclusion

Making the profession disability inclusive

Join us and our Lawyers with Disabilities Division for a series of virtual roundtables discussing "easy wins" for disability inclusion within organisations and local Law Societies. We’ll also be joined by the Legally Disabled team to give a constructive overview of their research into the career experiences of disabled people within the legal sector.

Get in touch to book

Virtual D&I Conference – Master of the Rolls to speak

We were very pleased when Leeds Law Society approached us about working together on a D&I conference. Now that it must be a virtual one, anyone anywhere can sign-up.

Running from 15 September to 1 October, and so incorporating National Inclusion Week, there will be six events; each covering a different topic:

Social mobility
Mental health
Gender
Disability
LGBT+
Race

The Master of the Rolls, Sir Terence Etherton, has now been added to the already impressive list of speakers.

Book your place

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents.

Kind regards,

Simon

Simon Davis
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1P

Your weekly Law Society update 17 August 2020

24/8/2020

Dear colleague,

Your weekly Law Society update

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.

Website

Our new website and the new My LS are now live. Please register to see content tailored to your practice and interests. Thanks to all members who have fed back during development. Feedback is still welcome. Registering with My LS will also help you understand the benefit to your constituents.

We have been in the media this week to promote the role and value of the profession in these difficult times

The Financial Times (£) published my letter about the how the justice system’s use of algorithms requires proper oversight

“What is needed is transparency, centralised co-ordination and systematic knowledge sharing between the public bodies which use algorithms, to ensure they are designed, procured and deployed lawfully,” I wrote.

The plight of two lawyers on hunger strike was covered in the Gazette.

I said: “The Law Society reiterates its support for lawyers in Turkey, who should be allowed to practise their profession freely without undue external interference.”

This week I was on Times Radio (1:38:43) explaining how the Covid-19 pandemic has left law centres and high street firms at risk.

The Gazette, the Solicitors Journal, Legal Action Group, New Law Journal and Free Movement reported lord chancellor Robert Buckland’s move to revoke a controversial fixed fee regime for immigration and asylum appeals work after legal aid firm Duncan Lewis Solicitors began judicial review proceedings.

Duncan Lewis’ claim was supported by letters of support from the Law Society and the Legal Aid Practitioners Group.

I pointed out half of immigration appeals are successful - “clear evidence of how important it is that people have recourse to the tribunal to challenge Home Office decisions that have a profound impact on their future”.

The Independent provided a detailed overview of the UK criminal justice system, citing the problems with the current legal aid system which deny the public access to justice.

Our research on ‘legal aid deserts,’ which was published last year, found that more than half of local authorities in England and Wales have no publicly funded legal advice for housing.

We said: “People facing homelessness or trying to challenge a rogue landlord increasingly cannot get the expert legal advice they desperately need.”

The Gazette, Law360 (£) and Lexis Library (£) looked at our asks on law and justice in the comprehensive spending review.

I said: “We urge the government to support our justice system and world-leading legal services sector to ensure they are well equipped with the funding needed to face the challenges of the future.”

The Gazette, Law360 (£) and New Law Journal reported the Law Society’s warning that plans to extend court hours will hit overstretched and underfunded criminal defence firms hard when the capacity to cover the additional hours may not even exist.

We have published guidance for practitioners faced with the prospect of working extended court hours ahead of a pilot beginning next week.

I said: “We have repeatedly made clear to the Ministry of Justice that extended hours are not the right approach to tackling the backlogs in the courts because of the significant impact they would have on court users, legal practitioners and how our justice system functions.”

The Guardian highlighted a report from the Gazette that Manchester Crown Court has closed again after three people tested positive for coronavirus, according to the barristers’ representative body, the Northern Circuit.

A total of 64 crown courts have resumed jury trials in areas including Bristol, Swansea, Chelmsford, Northampton, Leeds, Basildon, Worcester and Shrewsbury.

Our interactive map showing which Nightingale courts are operational features in the New Law Journal.

“We believe the government can build court capacity to clear the backlog by using unused public buildings – including court buildings which have been closed but have remained unsold – as Nightingale courts,” I said.
In July, the Ministry of Justice announced the 10 Nightingale courts which are hoped to ease the pressure on the justice system.

The Solicitors Journal looked at what steps HM Courts and Tribunals Service should take to keep solicitors and other court users safe and informed during the covid-19 pandemic.

I said: “It is absolutely vital that HMCTS maintains clear and immediate communications with solicitors and other court users on what is happening in their courts and tribunals buildings – especially if a staff member has displayed any covid-19 symptoms.”

The Times (£), Gazette and Solicitors Journal reported that reduced sentences for early guilty pleas might be scrapped. I said: “In the absence of credit for a guilty plea a defendant may conclude that they have nothing to lose by going to trial, leading to victims having to testify and costly trials.”

Today’s Wills and Probate reported on a consultation on making online probate applications compulsory.

Chair of the Law Society Wills and Equity Committee, Ian Bond, is quoted saying: “Practitioners will want to have the assurance that the online systems are working and tested before mandating its use; that service levels will not decline; and, that these changes will not lead to (excessive) changes to fees.”

The Gazette carried analysis of the Law Society’s Lawtech adoption and training report, noting its release was timely and that the survey results provide useful confirmation of the state of play in the profession.

Ursula Collie, a local solicitor, wrote for the Northern Echo on people’s consumer rights if their wedding is cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic as part of our legal agony column series.

From 3 to 31 August, the UK public will be able to eat out for half price as some of the UK’s restaurants take part in the government’s Eat Out to Help Out Scheme.

Henry Bermigham, a partner at Weightmans, spoke with BBC Radio Humberside (from 2:17:44) about who is liable if a patron contracts Covid-19 while eating out a restaurant.

Justice

Nightingale Courts status interactive map

On 19 July 2020, the government announced that it would be opening ‘Nightingale Courts’ as part of its court recovery plan to address the impact of Covid-19 on the justice system. We’ve created an interactive map which shows the location of open, and proposed, Nightingale Courts as well as the type of work being heard in these venues.

View the map and further resources here. Read the full press release here.

Parliamentary

On Wednesday (12 August) we launched a campaign action as part of the Law Society’s Return, Restart and Recovery campaign.

With the comprehensive spending review now underway, the Law Society is calling for solicitors and supporters to write to the chancellor to urge him to ensure that our justice system and legal services sector is equipped with the funding it needs to face the challenges of the future.

The comprehensive spending review sets out departmental spending for the years ahead, and is the biggest opportunity to influence government spending priorities for the next few years.

This spending review is a once in a generation opportunity for our justice system, which contributes significantly to our economy, underpins our society and in turn facilitates growth across other parts of our economy. It is vital that the chancellor hears your voice.

You can write to the chancellor of the exchequer using our quick and easy tool in just two minutes.

Diversity and Inclusion

Virtual D&I Conference – Master of the Rolls to speak

We were very pleased when Leeds Law Society approached us about working together on a D&I conference. Now that it must be a virtual one, anyone anywhere can sign-up.

Running from 15 September to 1 October, and so incorporating National Inclusion Week, there will be six events; each covering a different topic:

Social mobility
Mental health
Gender
Disability
LGBT+
Race

The Master of the Rolls, Sir Terence Etherton, has now been added to the already impressive list of speakers.

Book your place

A disability inclusive future

In partnership with Legally Disabled, we have launched a survey to capture the experiences of disabled solicitors and trainees and how they have navigated remote working during lockdown.

Help us build a more disability inclusive profession by completing the survey by Sunday 16 August.

Take the survey

Update from our Brussels Office

The Law Society submitted its consultation response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on departing from retained EU case law by UK courts and tribunals

Our work internationally

On 14 August the Law Society, the Confederation of Indian Industry and Clyde & Co hosted a webinar on the “Impact of COVID19 on legal sector and how to handle contractual disputes in the UK & Indian jurisdictions”

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents.

Kind regards,

Simon

Simon Davis
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1P

Your weekly Law Society update 10 August 2020

12/8/2020

the extent to which you were able to maintain contact with clients
if clients were able to effectively access courts and tribunals
if external scrutiny of your client’s situation has been maintained
various additional issues across disability and mental health, domestic violence, children and housing.

Immigration
Following correspondence from the Law Society, the Home Office confirmed that they intend to formalise the approach that has been taken during the pandemic within the Immigration Rules, with an aim for this to happen in Autumn 2020. They also confirmed that the gov.uk webpage would be updated, as requested, to reflect the blanket grace period for people whose leave to remain in the UK expires before 31 August 2020 along with further details.

Parliamentary

Justice Committee reports
On Monday (3 August) the Justice Select Committee published a report on the impact of coronavirus on the legal profession. The Committee makes a series of recommendations to government in the report, including specific endorsement for the Law Society’s call for further support for legal aid firms. The full report can be read here.

That report follows a report from the Justice Select Committee last Thursday (30 July), following the Committee’s inquiry on the impact of coronavirus on our courts and tribunals. The Law Society’s evidence to the committee was specifically referenced in the report, which included a number of recommendations to government and HMCTS focused on the criminal and civil courts and tribunals, technology, and the recovery plan. That report can be read in full here.

Diversity and Inclusion

Will the new normal be a disability inclusive working environment?

In partnership with Legally Disabled, we have launched a survey to gather experiences of people with disabilities in the profession both during lockdown and post-lockdown.

We will use these insights to inform best practice for the future and to evidence aspects of remote working which could benefit disabled people working within the legal sector in the long term. The survey is open until Sunday 16 August and should take only 20-25 minutes to complete. Please take the survey.

Leeds Law Society virtual conference

Join us and Leeds Law Society from Tuesday 15 September to Thursday 1 October for a series of virtual events focused on diversity and inclusion.

We will be hearing from a range of speakers on topics including; social mobility, mental health and wellbeing, gender, disability LGBT+ and race.
Book your place

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents.

Kind regards,

Simon

Simon Davis
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1P

Your weekly Law Society update 3 August 2020

4/8/2020

Your weekly Law Society update 27 July 2020

28/7/2020

Dear colleague,

Your weekly Law Society update

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.

Website

Our new website and the new My LS are now live. Please register to see content tailored to your practice, and interests. Thanks to all members who have fed back during development. Feedback is still welcome. Registering with My LS will also help you understand the benefit to your constituents.

Justice

Probate service review
We hosted another helpful probate professional user group meeting with HMCTS. They reiterated that the service is not experiencing delays.
HMCTS’s probate service has brought in extra staff to prepare for an increase in workload and any delay to processing times for grants of probate will therefore only be for a short period.
Uptake in the digital service has been increasing week on week since May and we continue to encourage members to register for this. More information can be found here.
We will be meeting again at the beginning of September.

Criminal courts listings issues
We have written to the CEO of HMCTS to request confirmation that urgent action is being taken with regard to reports we have received that in certain magistrates’ courts large numbers of cases are being listed at one time (in one instance over 100 for one court in one morning). We expressed serious concerns about the potential risk to health of court users due to overcrowding in waiting areas. In addition, in many of these cases the solicitor has been required to attend, only to find that the case has been adjourned.

Public Law

Criminal
We have responded to the attorney general’s consultation on revisions to guidelines on disclosure in criminal cases, and the associated Code of Practice. We supported the proposal to create a rebuttable presumption that certain items of commonly generated evidence should usually be disclosed, that disclosure should be undertaken as early in the proceedings as possible and, in appropriate situations, to permit defence engagement with the investigation to identify potential lines of enquiry.

Immigration
We wrote to the director of visas and citizenship at the Home Office regarding the Covid-19 visa extension policy for people whose leave to remain in the UK expired during the pandemic. During a committee hearing, the second permanent secretary announced that the policy would end on 31 July 2020 and not be renewed, as it was previously. This has not been announced elsewhere to date and follows other instances of similar announcements, such as the visa extension for NHS workers, which has not been put on a legal footing under the Immigration Rules.

Speeches

APPG on legal and constitutional affairs meeting
On 21st July I appeared before the APPG with Amanda Pinto QC, chair of the Bar, to address the question: "Should the coronavirus be allowed to change the way in which we do justice in this country". The link is here Watch the recording I appear about 14 minutes in.

Parliamentary

The Law Society was referenced twice during an oral evidence session of the Lords' constitution committee at which the lord chancellor, Robert Buckland, and Susan Acland-Hood, HMCTS chief executive, gave evidence. Lord Sherbourne cited the Law Society’s concerns about the impact of virtual proceedings on access to justice, and the lord chancellor mentioned the Law Society among those organisations he has been engaging regularly with throughout the pandemic.

The Law Society was mentioned by Bob Neill MP, chair of the Justice Select Committee, during a parliamentary debate on the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill. Neill referenced the Law Society’s briefing and our concerns regarding increasing the use of polygraph testing in the justice system.

Diversity and Inclusion

Will the new normal be a disability inclusive working environment?

In partnership with Legally Disabled, we have launched a survey to gather experiences of disabled people in the profession both during lockdown and post-lockdown.

We will use these insights to inform best practice for the future and to evidence aspects of remote working that could benefit disabled people working within the legal sector long term.

The survey is open until Sunday 2 August and should take only 20-25 minutes to complete.

Take the survey

We have been in the media this week to promote the role and value of the profession in difficult times

The Times (£) reported that leaders of the solicitors’ profession have called on ministers to double the time limit for bringing employment tribunal claims.

The Law Society has argued that since a 2017 Supreme Court ruling, which found the government’s fee scheme was unlawful, claims have increased significantly, but without a commensurate boost to resources at the tribunal.

I said: “We strongly support the idea of raising the time limit for bringing all employment tribunal claims to within six months.”

Also covered in Personnel Today.

The New Law Journal reported that 10 temporary ‘Nightingale’ courts will soon be starting in August. They will hear civil, family and tribunals work and non-custodial crime cases to make space in existing courts for jury trials and more serious criminal cases.

The Solicitors Journal also noted lord chancellor Robert Buckland has announced the locations of the 10 Nightingale Courts set up to tackle the backlog of cases due to Covid-19.

The Law Society welcomed the announcement. I warned the crisis existed prior to the pandemic.

“After years of underfunding and cuts, there were already significant backlogs across the civil and criminal justice systems,” he said. “This has been exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic – with the number of outstanding cases standing at over 524,000 late last month.”

New Law Journal cited my call that closed but unsold courts and other unused public buildings be used:

“We believe the government can build court capacity to clear the backlog by using unused public buildings – including court buildings which have been closed but have remained unsold – as Nightingale courts.”

The Gazette, Law360 (£), Legal Futures and Inside Conveyancing reported on the government’s economic crime levy consultation, launched earlier this week.

The consultation was announced as part of the 2020 Budget and a government move to introduce an economic crime levy.

I said: “Solicitors play an important role in the battle against money laundering and the Law Society – as the named supervisory body – shares the government’s objectives in having a robust regime in place.

“Our sector devotes substantial resources to fighting financial crime. We have strong concerns that a further unjustified burden will fall on a sector already under strain.

“We will be robustly engaging in the consultation process to ensure the profession’s views are well represented.”

Legal Futures noted that lord chancellor Robert Buckland QC has dropped his plan to replace juries in some criminal trials with a judge and two magistrates.

The Law Society and the Bar Council have condemned reducing the role of trial by jury.

The Independent, Yahoo! News and the Gazette cited a report by the Law Centres Network which has found a large proportion of the public will be left without “vital” assistance to protect their job, home or benefits during the crisis without ending up in poverty because they fall into the “justice gap”.

Richard Miller, the Law Society’s head of justice, said he supported the reports findings, adding: “If people cannot enforce their rights, then effectively these rights do not exist.

“The scale of legal need is too vast for law centres to bear alone. It will also be vital to ensure that private practice and legal aid firms working in these areas are fully supported to continue providing these much-needed services.”

Justice minister Alex Chalk told the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid that the government is looking to publish its findings along with a consultation on policy options in spring 2021, the Gazette reports.

Alongside consulting on threshold changes to the legal aid means test, the department will also look at the sustainability on the civil legal aid system.

Richard Miller warned of a “sectoral collapse” if the ministry did not address the three problems currently facing practitioners: cashflow implications of Covid-19, loss of income and the underlying crisis of sustainability.

Legal Futures features a piece mentioning legal aid and quotes Richard Miller, saying it was vital that legal aid rates were increased by at least the rate of inflation immediately, even while discussions were ongoing about what to do about legal aid generally.

Legal Futures reported an online session of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Constitutional Affairs, which saw me explain that the end of the coronavirus pandemic will bring a “massive increase” in demand for legal services.

The coronavirus lockdown in March has made it harder for Personal Representatives to administer estates within a reasonable period of time, the Gazette reports, in an article
by Ian Bond and Kieran Bowe on the market re-opening and sales proceeding. Ian Bond is chair of the Law Society’s wills and equity committee and head of trusts and estates at Talbots Law and Kieran Bowe is a wills and equity committee member and partner at Russell Cooke.

Today’s Wills & Probate noted the anticipation in the legal profession, as it awaits the Ministry of Justice’s announcement legalising wills that have been witnessed via video calls.

Ian Bond said: “The Law Commission had been put in place to look at wills in 2017 and was trundling along but unfortunately Covid-19 came round before it could make any changes to primary legislation.”

Yahoo! Finance cited a Telegraph (£) article which quotes Ian Bond saying “the Law Commission had been put in place to look at wills in 2017 and was trundling along but unfortunately Covid-19 came round before it could make any changes to primary legislation”.

He also spoke to Today’s Wills & Probate about the annotated probate forms which have recently been released by the Law Society and HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

“The Law Society welcomes the publication of the registrars annotated forms which arose from helpful discussions between the Registrars and the Law Society, STEP and SFE. The annotated forms alongside the FAQs are a real help to the solicitor profession in making paper applications for grants of representation,” he said.

New Law Journal reported that the Law Commission has proposed reforms to home ownership, making it simpler for leaseholders to extend their lease, take over the management or buy the freehold.

Under the proposals, there would be a new right to extend a lease for 990 years, in place of 50 or 90-year extensions and landlords would not be allowed to insist leaseholders accept new obligations or play extension costs.

I said the recommendations would “deliver real benefit for homeowners” and “provide the flexibility for commonhold to develop as an alternative to leasehold, if incentivised further by government”.

The Times (£) reported on how coronavirus affected the future of our criminal justice system. Ian Kelcey, the co-chair of our criminal law committee said: “The jury system is a unique system whereby each member of a jury brings…their unique experience. You immediately lose that if you do away with jury trials.”

The Gazette meanwhile reflected on how Covid-19 has affected the criminal justice system ahead of the MoJ’s annual report. Law Society president Simon Davis said: “I do not believe the MoJ has realised the extent of the problem Covid-19 is producing and the way the criminal defence profession may well collapse in a hideously unstructured way.”

The Global Legal Post reports on the government’s announcement that businesses can begin returning to the office from August. I said: “For as long as Covid-19 remains a virus that is easily spread within our population, while also causing significant medical problems to a large group of people, working practices will need to be flexible.”

Family Law Week reported our submission to the Joint Human Rights Committee on the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act.

Kent Live, Yorkshire Live, North Wales Live, Get Reading, Macclesfield Express and 32 others reported that lie detector tests should not be allowed to creep further into the criminal justice system.

The Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill would introduce mandatory polygraph tests for serious terrorist offenders, a measure already in use in connection with sex offenders released on licence.

Bob Neill, chair of the Justice Select Committee, said in the Commons: “The Law Society make the point that the suggestion of the use of polygraphs in some of these circumstances is more to persuade people, almost psychologically is the phrase they use in their briefing, against breaching the orders.”

Liz Fisher-Frank, a member of the Law Society’s family law committee, writes in the Gazette about a potential explosion in family law cases.

“Now is a good time to make a call for pro-bono volunteers so that all those who have advice needs can access that advice,” she said.

Change of leaderships in communications directorate

After six years at the Law Society Mike Browne (operational director of Brand & Communications) has decided it is time for him to move on. We would like to thank Mike for his passion and commitment to the organisation. He worked hard to modernise our brand, promote the profession, present our member offer, ramp up broadcast and national media profile, create a member focused website and keep staff engaged in our future direction. He played a positive and active part in the senior leadership and direction of the organisation and he will be missed by colleagues.

Update from our Brussels office

Helena Raulus, head of office attended the BBUKOO (Brussels based UK Organisations and Offices) meeting with the UKMIS on Friday. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the state of the EU-UK negotiations.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents.

Kind regards,

Simon

Simon Davis
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1P

Update from the London South East team

20/7/2020

Dear Member,

The London & South East Relationship Management team are keen to ensure that key updates and information of relevance are communicated to you, and your local law society, periodically.

Please feel free to share the information below more widely with your committees and your membership.

Webinar: Use of virtual execution and e-signatures during the COVID-19 pandemic

In this webinar Edward Craft, Chair of our Company Law Committee, and Elizabeth Wall, Head of Know-How for the Global Corporate Practice for A&O, cover:

How to facilitate legal transactions in an increasingly digital world.
Options for executing documents by virtual means post the Mercury decision.
How to execute commercial contracts with confidence using electronic signatures.
Legislative, regulatory and cultural requirements to be aware of when completing a transaction digitally.

You can listen to a recording here.

Free Webinar: Virtual firms, 30 July 10:00-11:00

Many law firm leaders are considering what the next step is for their business models. A significant number are considering how to become a fully virtual or dispersed firm. This webinar will look at three options:

Keeping your firm's structure but making remote working permanent
Set up a virtual/dispersed firm
Join an existing virtual firm

Register here

Redundancy support

We are aware that solicitors may be facing uncertainty in their roles. We have produced information on this process and a support package.

View more information
View the support package

Event: Join Simon Davis at the APPG on Legal and Constitutional Affairs' event, Tuesday 21 July

Should we allow coronavirus to change the way we do justice in the UK? Simon Davis, president of the Law Society, and Amanda Pinto, chair of the Bar Council, will be discussing coronavirus and the justice system with the APPG on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on Tuesday 21 July, 11:00-12:30.

Please email hugo.forshaw@lawsociety.org.uk to book your place.

Blueprint for law firms and solicitors facing local lockdowns

This guidance is intended to help solicitors and law firms navigate local or area-specific lockdowns. We've signposted to resources that can help with these uncertain times. This covers:

Your business continuity plan
Cybersecurity
Workforce planning and looking after your staff
Enable your practice areas to keep business going
Keep in touch with local decision makers
Get ready to go back to the office

Read more here
Find out more about our Return, Restart and Recovery campaign

We have also updated our return to the office toolkit and practical framework to include a summary of the latest government guidance, including changes to the covid risk assessment (including a plan in case of an outbreak, law firm's duties on track and trace, and supporting staff members to self-isolate).

Podcast: President Simon Davis on Covid-19 and support for solicitors

President Simon Davis speaks with Einat Sohar, relationship manager for City and International Law Firms at the Law Society, about the Coronavirus pandemic and what the Law Society is doing to support solicitors.

Listen to the podcast

FREE Virtual event: 'Not the Oxford Conference', Friday 11 September 2020, 14:00-16:00 (pre-registration required)

This year there will be no Joint Planning Law Conference at Oxford this year, due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic. This special online event is ideal for planning professionals at all career stages.

The event will feature some of the speakers and topics that had planned to appear and address at the conference in Oxford, condensed into a free, 2 hour, digital package. The event is free, but pre-registration is required. Find out more and book your place here.

Digital Programme

PART I

The Role of Planning in Rebalancing the UK Economy - The Right Honourable The Lord Kerslake FAcSS, Chair of the UK2070 Commission
Meeting the Net Zero Challenge and Preparing for Climate Change - Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS (Julia King) Vice Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, Chair Adaptation Committee of the Committee on Climate Change

Questions chaired by Hashi Mohamed, No5 Chambers and Author of ‘People Like Us: What it Takes to Make It in Modern Britain'.

PART II

Legal Update - Jonathan Easton LLB (Hons) LLM, Kings Chambers

Questions chaired by Mary Cook, Town Legal LLP.

Consultation summary

Revisions to the Attorney General's Guidance on disclosure and the CPIA Code of Practice - closing date extended to 22 July 2020
Link to consultation
Policy Lead: Janet.Arkinstall@lawsociety.org.uk

The Attorney General's Office is consulting on changes to the guidelines and Code of Practice for disclosure.

Tax Treatment of Asset Holding Companies in Alternative Funding Structures- closing date 19 August 2020
Link to consultation
Policy Lead: James.Reynolds@lawsociety.org.uk

This consultation seeks views on whether changes to the tax treatment of companies used by funds to hold assets could make the UK a more attractive location for these companies. It also considers the VAT treatment of fund management fees and other aspects of the UK’s funds regime.

SRA Consultation: SRA Business Plan and Budget 2020-2021 - closing date 26 August 2020
Link to consultation
Policy Lead: Marzena.Lipman@lawsociety.org.uk

This consultation takes place, in part, alongside the Law Society Group consultation on the level of the practising certificate fees for 2020/21, which runs until 10 July 2020. The SRA has therefore encouraged responses on the budget component of the business plan prior to 10 July.

As part of this consultation, the SRA is also be asking for views its proposed principles for managing its Compensation Fund, which is a key part of consumer protection and supports public confidence in solicitor firms and the reputation of the profession. Every year the SRA Board decides on the level of the profession's contributions to the fund, based on information about trends, past and prospective claims and interventions.

Notification of uncertain tax treatment by large businesses - closing date 27 August 2020
Link to Consultation
Policy Lead: James.Reynolds@lawsociety.org.uk

From April 2021 large businesses will be required to notify HMRC when they take a tax position which HMRC is likely to challenge. This policy will draw on international accounting standards which many large businesses already follow. This consultation seeks views on the method and detail of the notification and particular areas of uncertain tax treatment.

Call for evidence: raising standards in the market for tax abuse - closing date 28 August 2020
Link to consultation
Policy Lead: James.Reynolds@lawsociety.org.uk

The government has published a call for evidence on raising standards in the market for tax advice. HMRC is seeking evidence about providers of tax advice, current standards upheld by tax advisers, and the effectiveness of the government’s efforts to support those standards, in order to give taxpayers more assurance that the advice they are receiving is reliable.

Consultation on Corporate Tax Rules that apply to Hybrid Mismatch Arrangements- closing date 29 August 2020
Link to consultation
Policy Lead: James.Reynolds@lawsociety.org.uk

The government is consulting on arrangements that exploit the differences in tax treatments between the two jurisdictions. This consultation seeks to ensure that the hybrid mismatch rules work proportionately and as intended.

If you have any questions in relation to any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact us at London&SouthEastTeam@lawsociety.org.uk

Best wishes,

Bhavni, Beth and Stuart.

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