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International Edition

Stars at the Bar: Long lunches are out

Every cloud has a silver lining. The current financial crisis is already bringing in more work for the commercial Bar - and this increase is set to continue. Past performance is no certain guide to the future, but it is one of the only yardsticks we have. So what trends are apparent from earlier financial crises? In 1973 the Barber boom came to an abrupt end, resulting in the failure of secondary banks and provoking fears for the entire British banking system. The recession that followed produced a large amount of commercial litigation - many of the cases that were generated by economic events in 1973-74 continued through until the 1980s.
4 minute read

International Edition

Stars at the Bar: Pollution in the first degree

"It is a trite observation that environmental problems, although they closely affect municipal laws, are essentially international; and that the main structure of control can therefore be no other than that of international law." The above was written by Sir Robert Jennings QC, Whewell Professor of International Law at the University of Cambridge and former president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in his foreword to the first edition of Principles of International Environmental Law by Philippe Sands.
8 minute read

International Edition

Stars at the Bar: Inside the ivory tower

The worlds of the TV star and the barrister are not as far apart as one might think. The day job at the Bar is in some ways akin to putting on a performance - it is not about illusion, but there is more than a degree of acting and drama about the court room experience. That is why I think so many individuals in the profession, including myself, were interested when the prospect of taking part in the BBC documentary 'The Barristers' arose.
6 minute read

International Edition

Repudiation claims: Ceiling the deal

Earlier this month Mr Justice Jackson gave judgments on outstanding issues and legal costs in the protracted litigation between Multiplex and Cleveland Bridge (Cleveland). The dispute, which received substantial media coverage, arose from the new Wembley Stadium construction project involving more than 20,000 tonnes of steelwork. The steelwork was commissioned to an innovative and complex design, including plans for an unobstructed view from every seat, a retractable roof, and the now famous arch, which is the largest single-roof structure in the world.
5 minute read

International Edition

Northwest chambers signs up 25-strong group

St Johns Buildings is set to take 25 members of rival set Peel Court Chambers - including Leader of the Northern Circuit Richard Marks QC, following Peel Court's dissolution earlier this month. The 25 members, which includes Marks and four other QCs, are due to join Manchester-based St Johns on 1 December, increasing the chambers' number of criminal practitioners to 74.St Johns, which operates in Manchester, Chester and Preston, and was established in 2002 following the merger of three Manchester sets, has grown to become one of the largest chambers in the UK.
2 minute read

International Edition

Govt ups high-cost case rates after crisis talks

The Government has increased rates for advocates on very high-cost criminal cases (VHCC) following crisis talks after a majority of barristers boycotted the panel over poor fee arrangements. As a result of talks between the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Bar Council, the Law Society and the Legal Services Commission (LSC), hourly rates for a QC or senior solicitor have increased from £145 to £152.50, while a QCs rate of £476 for each day spent in court has risen to £500.The shortage of barristers - only 110 advocates out of the 2,300 offered contracts signed up by April because of the reduced fees - had left a number of major criminal trials at risk of disruption and delay.
3 minute read

International Edition

Top chambers move to benefit from LSA revolution

Top chambers including Matrix and Outer Temple are looking at opportunities available through alternative business structures (ABS) as the Legal Services Act (LSA) gains momentum at the Bar. A number of sets are considering how they can benefit from the new structures, which would allow for outside investment into chambers as well as partnerships with non-barristers. Matrix is among those actively looking at its options. The chambers, which set up a working group more than a year ago to look at ABS, is considering a number of possibilities, including bringing in solicitors, paralegals and administrators for civil legal aid work.
3 minute read

International Edition

Fraud trial plea-bargaining on hold as Govt report is delayed

A report setting out proposals for the introduction of plea-bargaining in UK fraud trials has been delayed until at least the end of the year.The Attorney General report was due to be published earlier in October but has now been pushed back by several months.The Attorney General's office said the delay - which could extend until early next year - would allow the report to take account of a separate Government consultation currently underway looking at extending the powers of the Crown Court to prevent fraud and compensate victims.
2 minute read

International Edition

Kaplan voices interest in BVC replacement

The number of law schools offering the new Bar entrance course, the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) looks set to increase, with Kaplan Law School - a joint venture operating with Nottingham Law School - considering whether to enter the market. The London college is to decide in the coming weeks whether or not to offer the Bar training course, after the Bar Standards Board (BSB) gave potential new providers until the end of the month to express their interest in offering the course.
2 minute read

International Edition

BCCI working group set for trial reform summit

A top-level summit is set to take place in the New Year to gather feedback on the post-BCCI reforms from the Aikens working party - more than two years after the first symposium on the subject. The group is set to meet on 26 January to discuss working party reforms, including ways of reducing the length and cost of trials, which have been road-tested during a trial due to finish at the end of November.
2 minute read

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