Despite the limits to the scope of the unfair contract terms regulations set by the Supreme Court in the bank charges case, the courts remain prepared to take a supportive approach in consumer credit claims. Bryan Nott reports
Litigants agreeing on part 36 offers before starting proceedings often include terms about their respective costs pre-litigation – but it's not always that simple, says Francesca Kaye
The government proudly ratcheted its fights against compensation culture and rising insurance costs on 9 September by announcing a ban on referral fees. The majority of the profession approved, it seemed. But will the ban truly address a real issue or is it a spectacular own goal for the profession? We asked five stakeholders for their reactions to the news
Property lawyers may have little option but to join the Conveyancing Quality Scheme, but the real challenge is to offer a truly professional service not only to clients but also to their counterpart in a transaction, says John Outram
I had sleepless nights over trifles. It just wasn't right that the law should not concern itself with trifles. It seemed so arbitrary and unfair that, of all the desserts available for consumption, some high-minded judge somewhere decided, for no obvious reason, to home in on one of my favourites. Why couldn't the law adopt the same attitude to lumpy custard or spotted dick (which has far more menacing connotations)?
London has had its fair share of serious rioting over the past 1,000 years and public authorities have responded in different ways, but, when it comes to last month's social disturbances, judicial wisdom seems to have gone out the window, says Jeannie Mackie
The Equality and Human Rights Commission should not intervene in the European Court of Human Rights in support of claimants in religious discrimination cases, a leading not-for-profit equality organisation has said.
