We’ve put together the following list to examine different regulator responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions or best practice for the rest of the ICLR community, please do get in touch, and we will be happy to include any of these in the next newsletter. The Nederlandse Orde Van Advocaten has…
Key findings from largest ever legal needs survey in England and Wales
A survey has been conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Legal Services Board (LSB) and the Law Society of England and Wales, looking to examine the current state of legal need across the jurisdiction. A nationally representative sample of 28,633 members of the public was consulted on 34 different types of legal issues, in order…
BSB publishes annual report on diversity at the Bar
On the 31st January, the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales (BSB) published its annual report on diversity at the Bar. The report demonstrates that there has been some progress, with increased diversity and representation across the profession. However, the report also demonstrated that whilst the direction of travel was positive, there is still…
BSB publishes research into barristers’ attitudes to CPD revisions
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has published a report on the impact of their revised approach to regulating barristers’ Continuing Professional Development. The report found that the general attitude towards the scheme amongst barristers was positive, with many welcoming the improved flexibility of the rules, however the report also suggested that there was some misunderstanding…
Ethics and in house lawyers
A survey of 400 in-house lawyers, carried out by law professors from Exeter University and University College London in collaboration with flexible legal services provider Lawyers on Demand, has revealed that a third of in-house lawyers are sometimes placed in difficult moral positions. The research found that: 32% were asked ‘to advise or assist on things that made…
BSB modernises its regulatory decision-making
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has taken a number of steps to modernise its regulatory decision-making. Recent changes include: A new edition of its handbook – introducing new Enforcement Decision Regulations The establishment of a new Independent Decision-making Body (IDB) The creation of a new Independent Reviewer role to carry out requests for the review of individual decisions The launch of…
Reasonable adjustments in the provision of legal services: a report for the Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Competition and Markets Authority reported in 2016 that one of the major barriers to accessing and understanding legal services was a general lack of accessibility, particularly in how information is presented and shared. Charities such as Citizens Advice and Age UK have suggested that this is of particular concern regarding people who, due to…
SRA to increase AML checks on law firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced that they will be increasing checks on law firms after it found that 21 percent of the 400 firms consulted were not complying with anti-money laundering regulations. The majority of firms were using templates and these firms’ risk assessments were generally of lower quality as firms appeared to take…
Independent review of legal services regulation in England and Wales
The Centre for Ethics and Law in the UCL Faculty of Laws is undertaking a fundamental review of the current regulatory framework for legal services in England and Wales, led by Honorary Professor Stephen Mayson. The independent review is intended in part to explore the longer-term and related issues raised by the 2016 Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) ‘Legal Services…
SRA consults on proposed changes to solicitor advocate assessments and qualifying requirements
The SRA has launched a consultation on proposals designed to make sure that high standards of advocacy are provided by solicitors. Proposals include: the introduction of revised standards for the Higher Rights of Audience qualification the creation of a single, centralised Higher Rights of Audience assessment the development of more online resources to help solicitors…