Wednesday 21 September 2011

Happy Birthday!

McKeag & Co would like to wish a Happy Birthday to our Lynsey Scott who works in our Conveyancing Department.

We all hope you have a lovely day.

Friday 16 September 2011

Switching the cameras on in the Court room

Changes are to be introduced to allow television broadcasting in Court.

The move is expected to start with broadcasts from the Court of Appeal before spreading into the Crown Court although filming for now will be limited to the Judge's summary only.

The changed is hoped to bring more awareness to the public of how the legal system and sentencing works however there are fears that this is the first step towards full coverage of criminal trials.

Broadcasters will no doubt be keen to cash in on sensationalised trials but will the result be more 'Judge Judy' than Justice?

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Does the gap between sexes still exist?

According to an article published today on The Lawyer website, the answer is yes.

Figures in The Lawyer UK's annual report suggest that the number of female equity partners in the UK's largest firms is decreasing.

In 2010 - 2011 even the firm with the largest proportion of female partners only had a percentage of 20%.

So despite a number of large firms improving their policies on family care and maternity/paternity issues, it seems that the top law positions still remain out of reach for most female practitioners.

Monday 12 September 2011

Hurricane Katia causes weather disruption in Scotland and the North of England

We are facing a blustery day here in Gosforth as the aftermath of Hurricane Katia moves towards Scotland and Northern England.

Gales are expected to reach up to 60 - 65mph this afternoon with heavy rain expected in Scotland.

The MET office has issued an amber alert and has warned of travel disruption and possible damage to trees and buildings.

Friday 9 September 2011

Government announce plans to ban referral fees

The Government has today announced plans to implement a ban on referral fees in personal injury claims.

The announcement has been welcomed by the Association of British Insurers who say that the practice of paying referral fees in exchange for personal injury claims has led to rising insurance premiums.

Aswell as hoping that the changes will bring down insurance premiums, the Government see the ban as a step towards ending the so called 'compensation culture'.

The move has however come in for criticism from lawyers who are concerned about the impact that the ban will have on the profession, particularly at a time when they are already facing the introduction of Alternative Business Structures.

As of yet there is no timescale in place for implementing the ban.