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Date posted on UnjustIS

Bent lawyers open door to terrorists in passport scam

TODAY the News of the World exposes a shocking seam of corruption right at the heart of Britain's legal system—a string of unscrupulous lawyers ready to aid terrorists in return for cash. One bent solicitor, a regular at the High Court and a member of prestigious Lincoln's Inn, even supplied a FAKE PASSPORT to an investigator he believed to be a fugitive Islamic terror boss. (Video on site)

News of the World

30 Dec

Take the money and run – illegal migrants go ‘home’ on handouts

Posing as a migrant eager to return to India, Vivek Chaudhary finds a government body eager to help him on his way with £4,000 in cash and allowances and no questions asked

I’VE often been told to go back where I came from – but never quite as pleasantly as now. Here, in a modest office in the heart of Westminster, I am being asked by a polite young man to name my price for quitting Britain. The advert I ripped out of Mann Jitt, a Punjabi newspaper in London, was to the point – and generous. “Thinking about returning to your home country? If you are an asylum seeker, call IOM free for an individual or a family return plan.” It spelt out the sweeteners available courtesy of the British taxpayer. “Small business start-up. Travel arrangements. Flight ticket. Relocation grant. Baggage allowance. Short-term accommodation. Job training. Work placements. Education.” (I wonder if Britain would pay me to leave this country? UJ)

Times Online

16 Dec

Conrad Black gets up to eight years in jail for fraud and obstruction of justice

Conrad Black has been sentenced to between six-and-a-half years and eight years in a US prison after being convicted in July of three counts of fraud and one of obstruction of justice. The former press baron had siphoned off millions of pounds from his publishing company, Hollinger International. Since then, he has continually proclaimed his innocence and has claimed he was the victim of "persecution" by the American justice system.

Daily Mail

10 Dec

Style waits for everyman

'I'm encouraged that 65% were satisfied with the services provided by their solicitors," the Law Society's chief executive, Des Hudson, commented on a public opinion poll published last week. I find that an astonishingly complacent attitude. The fact that more than a third of those asked were dissatisfied is a lamentable result which should be a source of great worry, not encouragement. It must mean that hundreds of thousands of clients were unhappy with their solicitor's work. The poll went on to reveal significant ignorance on how to complain about a solicitor, plus a fear that doing so would end up costing the complainant even more, or make the situation worse. All the more reason for Mr Hudson to be concerned rather than encouraged." (Readers are invited to have their say. UJ)

Guardian

10 Dec

Wilberforce hit by email fraudsters

Wilberforce Chambers has been hit by email fraudsters, who have sent out fake bills to solicitors in the set's name. Wilberforce was alerted last week by a lawyer in Singapore, who received a bill for £4,600 for "loan processing fees" with the chambers' address and contact details. Senior clerk Declan Redmond said: "It doesn't look anything like our bill. They've used completely false documentation and we've reported it to the police."

The Lawyer

10 Dec

JAILED SOLICITOR FACES CONFISCATION OF STOLEN CASH

Confiscation proceedings will be held at Exeter Crown Court to claw back some of the money from a city solicitor who stole £175,000 from the estates of two deceased clients. The prosecution yesterday told the court it was keen for the proceedings to be held before Guy Blackwood is released from jail as he could be planning to move to New Zealand.

This is Exeter

10 Dec

Solicitor struck off after collapse of business

A SOUTHAMPTON solicitor whose business collapsed when personal difficulties left her unable to cope was thrown out of the profession. Ellen Huggins, 56, suffered marital problems when she was running the firm Huggins Jensen from offices in The Avenue, the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal heard. The company fell into chaos and clients were unable to contact the solicitor who appeared to have vanished.

Southern Daily Echo

10 Dec

What do clients think of their lawyers?

People may not love lawyers — but mostly they are happy with the services they provide. Yet a significant one in five are dissatisfied and feel let down, according to a survey this week. The main problems are the length of time taken to deal with a case, lack of communication and, inevitably, cost. People are worried about what the likely fees will be and feel that cases may be delayed to ratchet up costs. They also feel alienated by legal jargon and frustrated at their lack of control, arising from not being kept informed on the progress of their case. (Readers are invited to have their say...UJ)

Times Online

10 Dec

Drug gang's solicitor is jailed

A solicitor who helped members of a drugs gang escape justice has been jailed for fourteen and a half years. Naveen Sagar, 32, represented key members of a London criminal network which made millions of pounds selling heroin, Kingston Crown Court heard. Sagar, from Wembley, north-west London, admitted two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. He also admitted trying to pervert the course of justice as well as two counts of fraud. His corrupt practices included an elaborate plan to try to portray the police falsely as corrupt by recording and editing conversations, the court heard.

BBC

10 Dec

Solicitor's crime partner jailed

A gang leader who used a corrupt lawyer to try to escape justice has been jailed for five years.
Ahmed Osman Hersi, 29, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court the day after solicitor Naveen Sagar, 32, was sentenced to fourteen and a half years. Hersi, of Southall, west London, used Naveen to provide false alibis for his gang which made millions of pounds selling heroin and used firearms.

BBC

10 Dec

Solicitor scrutiny after debts exposed

The regulation of solicitors in the Irish Republic is under scrutiny in an unfolding case of two solicitors, Thomas Byrne and Michael Lynn, who ran up business debts of up to 130m euro.
How they managed to borrow so much money is the subject of police and legal investigations, while clients and banks of the two are pursuing legal action in the High Court in Dublin.

BBC

10 Dec

'Shamed professor who accused me of murdering my son has ripped the heart out of my family'

A mother falsely accused of murdering her ten-year-old son by a controversial paediatrician has revealed how the devastating allegations haunted her family for a decade and threatened to rip them apart. Mandy Morris, 42, was referred to only as Mrs M when she gave video evidence from Australia against Dr David Southall at a General Medical Council hearing in London last week. The professor was found guilty of "abusing" his position and wrongly accusing the grieving mother of killing her child...The GMC's Fitness To Practice panel will decide next week whether he has been found guilty of serious professional misconduct which could lead to him being struck off for life. (If the GMC operates anything like The Law Society he'll be back again in just a few years. UJ)

Daily Mail

02 Dec

Beyond naming and shaming

There are better methods than publishing complaints records to improve client service in the legal profession, writes Helen Davies
Providing high-quality client care is an essential part of a solicitor’s practice – enshrined in rules 1 and 2 of the Code of Conduct. A solicitor’s ability to respond positively to client complaints is a tangible expression of their professionalism. However, the Legal Complaints Service (LCS) receives nearly 20,000 complaints annually regarding poor client service. While, this year, 20% have not been upheld, the numbers imply room for improvement. The Law Society, as a representative body, is committed to assisting the profession achieve this. (???. UJ)

Law Society Gazette

30 Nov

Solicitors lead way on fraud reporting

Solicitors filed 11,300 suspicious activity reports (SARs), or 14% of all non-banking sector reports and more than any other professional group, according to the first SARs annual report by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), which has been obtained by the Gazette. The number of SARs logged by solicitors has increased dramatically since the Proceeds of Organised Crime Act 2002. Before, lawyers were heavily criticised for making only 1% of the 31,251 suspicious transaction reports logged during 2001/02. The figure for the year to 30 September 2007 represents a near 4,000% increase. There is, however, concern among professionals regarding the cost and efficiency of the SARs regime.

Law Society Gazette

30 Nov

Society hits out at complaints publication plan

The Law Society this week hit out at Legal Complaints Service (LCS) proposals to publish solicitors’ complaints records, warning that it could create a ‘compensation culture’ among clients. It accused the LCS of abdicating its role in helping the profession to improve its ability to deal with complaints. The Society argued that a better way to improve client services is to build the capacity of solicitors to respond to complaints, and provide public information on firms which handle complaints well. A poll of solicitors highlighted concerns that publishing complaints could reduce access to justice for clients in areas of practice which traditionally generate more complaints, encourage firms to act defensively and thereby drive up costs, and fail to encourage a customer-focused culture within the profession. This would instead promote a ‘compensation culture’ among clients.

Law Society Gazette

30 Nov

Legal aid reforms unlawful, says top judge

The Law Society has won its battle against the Legal Services Commission over reforms to the £2bn-a-year public fund

Ministers’ reforms to the £2 billion-a-year legal aid scheme suffered a setback yesterday when the Lord Chief Justice ruled that some of its new rules breached European laws. Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers was ruling on a challenge in the Court of Appeal by solicitors to a new contract covering civil and family legal aid. The Law Society of England and Wales, which represents the solicitors' profession, has been battling over the Government’s reforms that are being brought into force by stages. (The Law Society fighting for justice? I think not. UJ)

Times Online

30 Nov