Friday 06 July 2012

Three new Law Society senior office-holders take up their posts today. Lucy Scott-Moncrieff (pictured) becomes president, Nick Fluck vice-president and Andrew Caplen deputy vice-president.

Strasbourg judge

Paul Mahoney has been appointed Britain's new judge at the European Court of Human Rights. The barrister, who has spent 30 years as an administrator at the Strasbourg court, polled nearly twice as many votes as his nearest rival, Ben Emmerson QC.

World pride

The Law Society is inviting solicitors to join it in marching at the World Pride Parade in London on 7 July to celebrate diversity in the legal profession and beyond. Members of the Law Society, Bar Council, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, Interlaw Diversity Forum, Bar Lesbian and Gay Group (BLAGG) and the Junior Lawyers Division will be walking through London under the banner 'Equality Under the Law', as well as promoting the message 'Lawyers for Equal Marriage'.

Cheaper registry

Land Registry fees will fall by an average of 10% next year thanks to savings made over the past five years, according to the agency's latest annual report. However the registry said it could not say exactly which fees will be cut and by how much until a fees order is laid before parliament.

In-house appeals

Nearly two-thirds of private practice lawyers would consider moving in-house, according to an online poll of 399 lawyers conducted by recruiters Laurence Simons. A second linked survey, carried out jointly with the Association of Corporate Counsel, of 114 legal departments in 17 countries in Europe, Middle East and Africa, revealed that more than half (53%) had recruited during the first quarter of 2012.

RPC in Hong Kong move

City law firm RPC (Reynolds Porter Chamberlain) will open a Hong Kong office in August with an initial team of more than 40 people, including five partners. The office will focus on a mix of insurance, litigation and corporate work.

Legislation online

The National Archives has invited 'expert participants' to work with it on updating the legislation.gov.uk website. Under a programme, trained editors from the private and voluntary sectors will help in-house editorial experts revise legislation on the site.

The hope is that the work will be paid for by organisations such as legal publishers. However, the updated data will be available to all under an 'open government licence'.

NAS becomes ABS

A limited company based in Stockton-on-Tees has become the eighth entity to be licensed as an alternative business structure (ABS) by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. NAS Legal Limited, which was incorporated in August 2010, intends to become an ABS on 1 August to allow non-legally-qualified individuals to take management roles.