Lord Hunt of Wirral was commissioned by the Law Society in October 2008 to advise on what was needed to establish best modern practice in the regulation of solicitors. His terms of reference were: Read the full story

Debbie Purdy’s persistent pursuit of clarity has borne fruit. She wanted to know from the Crown Prosecution Service whether her husband would face prosecution should he help her to take her life in Switzerland. In a unanimous decision, the law lords ruled that she was entitled to such clarity, Read the full story

Very high cost cases (VHCCs) are those estimated to last more than 40 days at trial, or 25 days if involving complicated combinations of factors. Last year there were about 400 defendants funded by legal aid in 100 VHCC criminal cases at a total cost of £100 million. Read the full story

It being the time of year for seasonal festivities it is not surprising that someone has come up with research into hangovers. Particularly in respect of ability to drive while suffering from one. Read the full story

Suicide is no longer a criminal offence in Britain, but assisting in someone else’s suicide most certainly is, with the possibility of a draconian sentence. Read the full story

Conditional Fee Agreements, also known as ‘no win, no fee’, are alternative methods of funding litigation, introduced widely in 2000 when legal aid for personal injury claims was axed. In this type of funding the solicitors share the risk in that if a case is lost the solicitor will not be paid but if the case is won the solicitor will charge a success fee. Read the full story

The Legal Services Commission has issued a press release to all Crime Contract holders regarding the recording of travel time in Police Station and Magistrates Court cases.

• From 1st July 2008, providers do not need to record travel time in police station cases unless those cases are classed as exceptional.

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