Goldman, Citi, KPMG and PwC lead office return as workers flock back into the City January 21, 2022 The City of London’s major banks, accountants, law firms, and insurers have called on staff to return offices, after the government scrapped its work-from-home guidance. Major players including PwC, KPMG, Slaughter and May, and Aviva, told City A.M that they have called on staff to come back in. Major banks and financiers including Goldman, Citi, [...]
Law sector’s toxic work culture is harming productivity January 20, 2022 The legal sector’s toxic workplace culture is pushing lawyers out of jobs and harming their mental health and productivity, new research shows. More than half of people working in the legal sector have left a job because of toxic culture in the workplace, according to a survey from software company Culture Shift. At the same [...]
Climate-conscious insurers scrap coal exit policy to stay on right side of antitrust rules January 19, 2022 A coalition of climate-conscious insurance companies have reportedly scrapped plans to stop insuring coal miners, to ensure they are not violating antitrust laws. The Net Zero Insurance Alliance, whose founding members include Axa, Allianz, and Aviva, dropped plans for a coal exit, after receiving advice from lawyers that the plans to join forces to prevent [...]
Government doubles Magistrates’ sentencing powers to cut Crown Court backlog January 18, 2022 Magistrates will be given new powers to jail people for up to a year, therefore doubling magistrates sentencing powers, in a bid to reduce the backlog faced by Crown Courts. Under current rules, magistrates have the power to hand down six-month jail sentences, meaning any cases that warrant a longer sentence must be passed [...]
The University of Law offers jobless grads a refund January 18, 2022 Britain’s biggest law school has said it will give graduates their money back if they fail to get a job. The University of Law said it will give its former students a 50 per cent cash refund and 50 per cent credit towards the fees of another course, if they do not get a job [...]
Criminal barristers threaten nationwide strike if government fails to up their pay January 18, 2022 Criminal barristers have said they will go on strike if the government does not substantially increase their pay. In a survey put out by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), 96.5 per cent of criminal barristers said they favour taking strike action if the Government does not agree “to a substantial increase in criminal legal [...]
EU regulators dish out record €1.1bn in fines for GDPR breaches in 2021 January 18, 2022 The total value of fines dished out by EU authorities for breaches of GDPR has risen to record highs of almost €1.1bn (£0.9bn), after jumping sevenfold between 2020 and 2021. EU authorities dished out a record €1.087bn worth of fines last year – a sevenfold increase on the € 158.5m worth of fines handed out [...]
Criminal barristers consider strike over government’s legal aid deal January 17, 2022 Criminal barristers are considering taking strike action, after claiming government plans to inject £35m per year into the criminal justice system would not be enough to “ensure the long-term viability of the Criminal Bar.” Last week, the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) asked its 2,600 members to vote on the prospect of launching a strike, [...]
Trainee lawyer jailed for selling cocaine and ketamine over encrypted Encrochat network and helping to move £1.5m January 14, 2022 A trainee employment lawyer, Neema Seifzadeh, 27, has been jailed for six years, for his role in a £1.5 million plot to sell cocaine and ketamine over the encrypted network Encrochat. Seifzadeh, who worked on a pro bono legal advice hotline, was sentenced to six years imprisonment on Tuesday at Manchester Crown Court, for helping [...]
Soophia Khan: Outspoken human rights lawyer jailed for contempt of court January 14, 2022 A prominent human rights lawyer has been jailed for contempt of court, after refusing to hand over files to the the body that regulates solicitors. High Court judge Mr Justice Leech sentenced 41-year-old Soophia Khan – often referred to as Sophie Khan in the media – to six months imprisonment, for breaching a High Court [...]