The Paralegal
July 2011
Dear Reader,
A shorter summer edition this month (and next). Here's hoping you have a good (and
dry!) summer!
The Editor
1. Breaking news & time critical matters
1.1. Litigation paralegal vacancy
An experienced litigation paralegal is wanted by a solicitors' firm in Sevenoaks, Kent. Read
more >>.
1.2. Exciting vacancies for paralegal advisers
The fast-growing firm Wills & Legal Services is looking to recruit full and part-time legal
advisers. Experienced advisers particularly welcome, but exceptional entry-level
paralegals will also be considered. Places available nationwide. As you will be visiting
clients at their homes and offices, you will need a car. You will be dealing with clients
directly so in addition to legal knowledge and client care skills, you will need to be
friendly, personable and self-motivated. For more information please call on 01885 490
380 or via the contact form on the Wills & Legal Services website.
1.3. Paralegal with contract skills required
Ovivio Water in West Bromwich requires a paralegal to do contract manager type work.
Read more >>.
1.4. The Solicitors Regulation Authority national roadshow
The SRA has introduced a radically new compliance regime. There is a national road-show
to explain it. Read more >>.
1.5 Free tickets to Legal Aid Practitioners Group annual conference
The Institute of Paralegals is again proud to support legal aid by sponsoring the Legal Aid
Practitioners Group annual conference on 7th October in Birmingham. As a result of that
sponsorship we have a small number of free tickets available for paralegals to attend. If
interested please email Carol Storer of the LAPG (not us/the Institute!).
1.6. Paralegal wanted to do pro bono employment work
Mr Richard Haigh (07732-938165 or 01903-215519) is looking for a paralegal willing to
represent him on a pro bono basis in an Employment Tribunal case. He appreciates it may
be a paralegal looking to gain experience of ET work.
Mr Haigh lives in Worthing, West Sussex, but the hearing is at the Bedford Employment
Tribunal. The other party (his former employer) is located in Milton Keynes. Mr Haigh was
an employee and his case concerns unfair dismissal. His lawyer is legally represented.
2. Business development
2.1. Free online Microsoft Office etc. training
Read more >>.
3. Company, commercial & contracts
3.1. New Companies House e-Reminder service
On 14th July Companies House introduced an email reminder service for company
accounts and annual returns. The eReminder Service is free and easy way to remember
when company accounts and annual returns are due to be filed, and is an alternative to
having paper reminder letters sent to the registered office. Read more >>.
3.2. Execution formalities: as easy as signing on the dotted line?
Two Court of Appeal judgments remind us that when a company needs to sign a legal
document it is never as simple as signing on the dotted line. You must always assess
carefully the nature of your document and any statutory rules for its signature. Read more
>>.
3.3. Minimum membership periods and early termination charges - Will your
terms survive?
A recent High Court decision which found that various terms contained in standard form
gym memberships were unfair and unenforceable, has important implications for all
companies using standard form contracts, which impose minimum contract terms and
early termination charges on consumers. Read more >>.
3.4. The advantages of using a commercial agent to increase exports: legal
considerations
The time, expertise and expense required to identify prospective export customers in the
diverse countries of the EU, and to negotiate and establish trading relationships across the
culturally distinct markets they represent can make it an a good idea to advise clients to
employ agents who can sell for them. But what are the legal issues? Read more >> .
4. Current Consultations
4.1. Bar Standards Board
International practising rules
CPD
Read more >>
4.2. Department for Business Innovation & Skills
Revision of the Industrial Development Act 1982
Higher education white paper
Higher education
Transforming regulatory enforcement
The future of the local better regulation office
Empowering and protecting consumers
Statistics that measure the progress of children from disadvantaged backgrounds to
higher education
Regional economic performance indicators
Consultation on modern workplaces
Read more >>
4.3. Department for Communities & Local Government
Draft national planning policy framework
Local government resource review: proposals for business rates retention
Local planning regulations
Implementing social housing reform: directions to the social housing regulator
Leasehold valuation limits
Planning for traveller sites
Read more >>
4.4. Department of Work & Pensions
Housing Benefit Reform - Supported Housing
Workplace pension reform: consultation on draft regulations and guidance
Work Capability Assessment - Year 2 call for evidence
Specialist disability employment programmes
Employer Debt (Section 75 of the Pensions Act 1995)
The Financial Assistance Scheme Regulations 2011
Independent review of health and safety legislation - call for evidence
Initial draft criteria for the personal independence payment assessment
Read more >>
4.5. Home Office
Transposition of European directive 2010/63/EU - protection of animals used for scientific
purposes
Review of police leadership and training
Reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Relaunch of amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001
Civil partnerships on religious premises
Read more >>
4.6. Intellectual Property Office
The Research and bolar exceptions: patent infringement in pharmaceutical clinical and
field trials.
Read more >>
4.7. Law Commission
Taxation law repeal proposals
London related Acts - General Repeal Proposals (2)
Sections 31 and 32 of the Trustee Act 1925
Consumer Redress for Misleading and Aggressive Practices
Read more >>
4.8. Legal Services Board
None
Read more >>
4.9. Ministry of Justice
Public bodies Bill: reforming the public bodies of the Ministry of Justice
Options for dealing with squatters
Strategy for the secure estate for children and young people in England & Wales
Court of Protection: authorised officers
The draft charter for the current Coroner Service
Read more >>
4.10. Office of Fair Trading
Credit brokers and intermediaries
Debt management guidance
Read more >>
4.11 Solicitors Regulation Authority
None.
Read more >>
5. Employment
5.1. Should legal representation be permitted in disciplinary hearings?
Read more >>.
5.2. Agency workers - their rights, your duty
Agency workers, also known as 'temps', are relied upon by many businesses, with an
estimated 1.3 million on assignment in the UK at any given time. Read more >>.
6. Hong Kong update
6.1. Hong Kong's new arbitration ordinance
Robin Peard highlights the key provisions in an article for the Hong Kong Lawyer. Read
more >> .
6.2. Interesting Tort case
A recent Court of First Instance case gave a useful summation of the law covering
negligence (slip and fall), duties to co-employees, loss of earnings and expert evidence.
Read the digest.
6.3. Authorised solicitors' clerks
The Law Society of Hong Kong Consents Committee runs the Authorised Solicitors' Clerks
scheme under which authorised paralegals are permitted to visit imprisoned clients
without a supervising solicitor being present. The Consents Committee has recently issued
guidance about which applications for ASC status will be granted (NB: it is the last article
at the end of the page) Read more >>
6.4. Protecting legal professional privilege
The issue of LPP has recently been considered in the English courts at length. James Wood
sums up the Hong Kong situation in an article in the Hong Kong Lawyer. Read more >>.
6.5. New minimum wage ordinance
The Hong Kong Lawyer looks at FAQ frequently asked questions) regarding the new
ordinance. Read more >>.
6.6 New senior judicial appointment
The Honourable Mr. Justice Wally Yeung Chun-kuen will become Vice-President of the
Court of Appeal of the High Court on 25th July. He has been part of the Judiciary since
1985 and was appointed as a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court in
2002.
6.7. Companies Registry news update
See what Companies Registry has issued releases about so far this year. Read more >>.
6.8. UK Supreme Court removes immunity for expert witnesses in litigation. Will
Hong Kong follow suit?
Read more >>.
7. Institute of Paralegals news
7.1. Supporting and developing apprenticeships
The Institute is already working with the government's National Apprenticeship Service
and liaising with Skills for Justice about legal apprenticeships. it has now also assisted
Prospects (the largest contributor to government's Connexions careers service) with the
legal apprenticeship element of its forthcoming book "Kickstart you career as an
apprentice".
7.2. Free pastoral support seminars from LawCare
The Institute's Registered Paralegal, Certified Paralegal and Qualified Paralegal members
were the first in the country to be entitled to use the Samaritans-style telephone helpline
for legal professionals run by LawCare. Now LawCare are offering those Institute members
free (except for expenses) CPD accredited presentations and seminars on a range of
subjects including Vicarious Trauma, Time Management and Effective Email. Click here for
more information or phone 01268 771333.
7.3. Careers advice 1
Institute members Helen Heelan and Zareena Younis assisted the Institute this month in
making careers presentations to visiting American paralegal students (Helen) and to sixth
formers from a number of schools as part of a joint effort including the Law Society, bar
Council and ilex (Zareena). Many thanks to both Helen and Zareena for donating some of
their time, and many thanks to everyone else who volunteered, but whom could not be
accomodated.
7.4. Careers advice 2
The skills sector council Skills for Justice asked us to assist them with paralegal careers
information for the government's DirectGov Next Steps careers web-site.
8. Litigation
8.1. Private investigator advises early evidence building in insolvency cases
Institute member and private investigator Mark Hodgson advises that building evidence
earlier in bankruptcy leads to cost and time savings for Petitioners. Read more >>.
9. Paid & unpaid public committee vacancies
Council for Licensed Conveyancers: 4 Licensed Conveyancer Members
Independent Family Returns Panel - Chair and nine members
Homes and Communities Agency: HCA Regulation Committee Chair
Members of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass): Chair
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass): Members
A District Judge, a Lay Magistrate Member, and a Tribunal Member Commissioner for the
Judicial Appointments Commission
Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission
Five Lay Commissioners for the Judicial Appointments Commission
10. Probate & will writing
10.1. Legal Services Board announces investigation into the regulation of will
writing companies
The Legal Services Board, following the advice of the Legal Services Consumer Panel has
launched a formal statutory investigation into the regulation of will writing companies.
Read more >>.
11. Regulatory
11.1 The Ombudsman is worried
The Legal Services Ombudsman is worried about unregulated paralegal law firms. Read
more >> .
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12. Special offer from The Paralegal
If you are interested in joining the Institute of Paralegals and getting a
15% discount off of your first year's membership fees then please contact
the Institute quoting promotional code TP2526. This offer is transferable,
so please share it with your friends and colleagues who may be interested.
Applications must be lodged with the Institute before 30th August 2011.
For more information on this offer please visit the Institute's website or
email office@theiop.org. For information about the benefits of
membership, please click here
Offer Expires: 30th August 2011
13. Quick links
The Paralegal website: click here
The Institute of Paralegals: click here
The New Law Journal: click here
LexisNexis special discounts for Institute members: click here
Ashley Taylors Legal Training: click here
14. Contact information
Articles, news items and comment welcomed. Please contact the Editor at
editor @ theParalegal.org (note breaks in link)
Within the United Kingdom phone: 02070 999 122
Outside the United Kingdom phone: +44 2070 999 122
Within the United Kingdom fax: 0207 904 3750
Outside the United Kingdom fax: +44 207 904 3750
The Editor
The Paralegal
c/o Institute of Paralegals
No.1 Poultry
London EC2A 8JR
United Kingdom
www.theParalegal.org
We hope you enjoyed this month's edition. Thank you for your interest in what we have to
say!