New regulations brought in by the Canadian government have seen individuals and entities have their assets frozen and further dealings prohibited in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Lawyers in Alberta have a regulatory obligation to comply with these and to not assist anyone in conducting illegal activities, including future dealings with prohibited Russian entities…
Law Council of Australia’s 2016 policy to improve equity in the profession hits milestone
The Law Council of Australia’s 2016 policy to improve equity in the legal profession has achieved its central aim. The Equitable Briefing Policy 2016 aimed to have female barristers receive instructions in 30% of all matters by 1st July 2020. A recent report states this goal has been achieved, with 31% of all instructions going…
Law Society of Ontario cancels licensing examinations to protect public interest
The Law Society of Ontario has cancelled its licensing examinations to protect the public interest and the integrity of the examination process. This comes in the wake of information that suggests a number of examinees had improper access to examination material. This decision affects approximately 1100 candidates who were set to write online examinations, beginning…
Close Contact Scheme for critical justice sector workers in close contact with COVID patients rolled out in New Zealand
The Ministry of Justice and Courts New Zealand has outlined a Close Contact Scheme for critical justice sector workers in close contact with COVID patients. Workers who cannot execute their work remotely will be allowed to continue their work if they apply for the Close Contact Exemption Scheme as long as they: are fully vaccinated…
Mandatory use of the Civil Online platform for simple procedure claims now permanent in Scotland
The system makes it mandatory for agents or party litigants to file their simple procedure claims directly via the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (“SCTS”) Civil Online platform, or by using the internet interface to the SCTS case management system. This process was brought in to mitigate the risk of face-to-face contact throughout the COVID-19…
Research shows a majority of solicitors in New South Wales hope changes to legal practice will remain in place
Research commissioned by the Law Society of New South Wales in Australia shows a majority of solicitors hope changes to legal practice brought about by COVID-19 remain in place. Respondents note that the move to remote delivery of legal services has brought a net benefit with the vast majority of solicitors in NSW hoping to…
Supporting the health and wellbeing of Black attorneys in Illinois
The Commission highlighted the long-held stigma of seeking help for mental health, as well as the daily microaggressions, the residual affects of intergenerational trauma and overt acts of racism as being unique stressors for Black attorneys. Dr. Arline Geronimus coined the term “weathering effect” to evoke the emotional erosion that comes with the constant stress of racism….
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales is consulting on proposed changes to its wellbeing standards
The consultation, running from the 4 March – 27 March follows increased concerns about the level of stress solicitors are experiencing as well as reports of bullying and harassment. The consultation addresses two key issues: The SRA has seen instances of serious, unfair and inappropriate treatment in the work place. There has been an increase in…
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Ireland has launched an online survey for newly qualified solicitors and barristers
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Ireland has launched an anonymous survey to capture the views of solicitors and barristers who have qualified since 2014 and have chosen not to practice. The aim of the research is to uncover the economic and other barriers faced by newly qualified barristers and solicitors. The…
The Law Society of Hong Kong is currently formulating a proposal to introduce its planned common entrance examination
The Law Society of Hong Kong is proposing the introduction of a new entrance examination, which would ensure that newly admitted solicitors studying different postgraduate law courses have all met the same academic standards on admission. Reform of legal education in Hong Kong was reported here in the ICLR newsletter in 2017, in comments by…