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What a year for sport. The 6 Nations in rugby culminated in Wales winning a Grand Slam (and then falling apart in the Autumn).
Ulster and Leinster played out the Final of the European Rugby Cup at Twickenham and Ulster lost. But I was there and what a great day that was.
However the Olympics and Paralympics proved to be the shining glory of our Summer. What a magnificent showpiece for British athletes, for athlets from all over the world, for sportsmanship and for the UK. It was great.
For me, however, the Ryder Cup fightback of Europe was the sporting higlight. It exemplified all that is great in sport. Dogged, determined ambition and belief. Sportsmanship from all participants. The crowd in fine voice yet friendly (overall). It was a great example to business. Effort, leadership, clear goals, energy, support and praise can result in dreams being realised.
IPP was abolished-sort of-in that it can't, from 3 December, be imposed upon someone convicted after that date. However it still exists as a punishment for those convicted before then and for those already sentenced to IPP. Hopefully the Parole Board will receive new regulations from the Secretary of State for Justice (who must be the worst person ever to occupy that role).
Chris Grayling is the wrong man at the wrong time. His attitudes are best reserved for the back benches. He is not a Statesman nor a leader. He is inept. He will be found out and replaced very soon.
Our business has gone through some changes. We lost and gained a conveyancer. We lost and gained some support staff. We lost and gained an accountant and gained a practice manger. Our business is growing and we have spent money on software to make the conveyancing experience better for our clients. We demand higher standards of work from our staff and ourselves and they are delivering.
Our prison law department is growing. We have undertaken more private client road traffic casework than before.
We are building a reputation in relation to high value divorce settlements through our involvement with Collaborative law and because we dont over-charge the client.
The future looks rosy.
I have had my usual run-ins with SRA and LeO. I find it hard to understand why people who claim to understand what it is like to be a Solicitor feel they must create more and more layers of bureaucracy just so one can do what one needs to do. It makes little sense. The problem is that neither the SRA nor the LeO are prepared to listen to me or Solicitors or The Law Society. The Legal Services Commission, however, is listening. What a refreshing change?!?
My hope for 2013 is that those Solicitors and others regulated by the SRA who cannot comply with the Code of Conduct are "struck off". I hope to see Solicitors jailed who have paid bribes to clients to entice them away from other Solicitors. I hope that the SRA will finally realise its limitations and empower local law societies to act as "Police Officers" or mini Courts or both to preserve the ethical standards of the profession. The SRA is a toothless, slow regulator which engenders little or no fear in those it regulates. The move to Outcome Focussed Regulation is perhaps the biggest mistake the SRA has made. It would also be nice to see The Law Society lead its members just as the Law Societies in Scotland have done over criminal legal aid contributions.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful New Year.
What a year for sport. The 6 Nations in rugby culminated in Wales winning a Grand Slam (and then falling apart in the Autumn).
Ulster and Leinster played out the Final of the European Rugby Cup at Twickenham and Ulster lost. But I was there and what a great day that was.
However the Olympics and Paralympics proved to be the shining glory of our Summer. What a magnificent showpiece for British athletes, for athlets from all over the world, for sportsmanship and for the UK. It was great.
For me, however, the Ryder Cup fightback of Europe was the sporting higlight. It exemplified all that is great in sport. Dogged, determined ambition and belief. Sportsmanship from all participants. The crowd in fine voice yet friendly (overall). It was a great example to business. Effort, leadership, clear goals, energy, support and praise can result in dreams being realised.
IPP was abolished-sort of-in that it can't, from 3 December, be imposed upon someone convicted after that date. However it still exists as a punishment for those convicted before then and for those already sentenced to IPP. Hopefully the Parole Board will receive new regulations from the Secretary of State for Justice (who must be the worst person ever to occupy that role).
Chris Grayling is the wrong man at the wrong time. His attitudes are best reserved for the back benches. He is not a Statesman nor a leader. He is inept. He will be found out and replaced very soon.
Our business has gone through some changes. We lost and gained a conveyancer. We lost and gained some support staff. We lost and gained an accountant and gained a practice manger. Our business is growing and we have spent money on software to make the conveyancing experience better for our clients. We demand higher standards of work from our staff and ourselves and they are delivering.
Our prison law department is growing. We have undertaken more private client road traffic casework than before.
We are building a reputation in relation to high value divorce settlements through our involvement with Collaborative law and because we dont over-charge the client.
The future looks rosy.
I have had my usual run-ins with SRA and LeO. I find it hard to understand why people who claim to understand what it is like to be a Solicitor feel they must create more and more layers of bureaucracy just so one can do what one needs to do. It makes little sense. The problem is that neither the SRA nor the LeO are prepared to listen to me or Solicitors or The Law Society. The Legal Services Commission, however, is listening. What a refreshing change?!?
My hope for 2013 is that those Solicitors and others regulated by the SRA who cannot comply with the Code of Conduct are "struck off". I hope to see Solicitors jailed who have paid bribes to clients to entice them away from other Solicitors. I hope that the SRA will finally realise its limitations and empower local law societies to act as "Police Officers" or mini Courts or both to preserve the ethical standards of the profession. The SRA is a toothless, slow regulator which engenders little or no fear in those it regulates. The move to Outcome Focussed Regulation is perhaps the biggest mistake the SRA has made. It would also be nice to see The Law Society lead its members just as the Law Societies in Scotland have done over criminal legal aid contributions.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful New Year.
