Renters Rights Bill
Central Housing Group reports on the Renters Rights Bill and the potential impact it may have on the courts system.
President Nick Emmerson said: “As the housing crisis spirals out of control, it is vital that renters are afforded clear rights that protect them from unjust treatment and homelessness.
“Ending ‘no-fault’ evictions is a critical step in bolstering these protections.
“However, more details are needed on how the government will ban ‘no-fault’ evictions, while balancing tenant rights with landlords’ routes to repossessions. Maintaining this balance is key in reforming the rental market.
“We also urge the government to invest in both the legal aid system and the courts to ensure renters can access justice and are protected when facing eviction.”
Democracy and rule of law
Gazette publishes Richard’s opinion piece on the relationship between democracy and rule of law, as growing populism challenges the rule of law. The op-ed is based on Richard’s speech at the IBA conference.
Litigation funding
Times (£) reports on litigation funding in England and the calls for increased regulation to help control the amount of money divided between the third-party funder and the claimant.
A Law Society spokesperson stressed the risks and substantial work done by lawyers in class actions, which they argued offers litigants a chance to take cases that they would otherwise not be able to pay for.
In successful cases, they said the claimants’ lawyers generally recover the bulk of the legal costs from the defendants, adding that the proportion of damages that successful claimants lose to funders is a matter of legitimate concern.
Opening of the Legal Year
Gazette covers the Opening of the Legal Year service at Westminster Abbey, as the lord chancellor pledges to defend the judiciary’s independence.
Restored to roll
Gazette reports that a former solicitor struck off more than 20 years ago has been allowed to return to the profession after a tribunal heard that her misconduct had been associated with being the victim of domestic abuse.
The former solicitor said she should have contacted the Law Society to help advise her next steps during the tribunal.
Legal aid fraud
Times (£) reports that human rights lawyer Phil Shiner, who was named Law Society solicitor of the year, has pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud over legal aid applications.
Also worth a read:
- Tribunal goes into battle with SRA over fining powers – Gazette
- More price transparency and bulk claims rise up SRA agenda – Legal Futures
- SQE1 pass rate drops to just 44% - Legal Cheek
- BSB decides not to publish its assessments of chambers – Legal Futures
- Government deploys urgent support to Rochester prison – Solicitors Journal
- EU Court Upholds Ban Barring Lawyers from Advising on Russian M&A – Law.com
- Met police use of facial recognition in London surges – Financial Times (£)
- Young people targeted to become magistrates in race to clear court backlog – Telegraph (£)
- 'Just pay up,' says Post Office scandal victim – BBC News