Editor, Solicitors Journal

STAMP DUTY

1 Jan 2021News

Government is under increasing pressure to extend the stamp duty land tax (SDLT) holiday beyond the cut-off date of 31 March 2021. Kate Bould, of property search firm Index West Midlands, said an extension was 'critical' for the sake and future of the economy and the sector; and that the SDLT holiday has thrown the residential property sector a virtual lifeline. The sector anticipated that the boom in the housing market in the last quarter of 2020 is expected to slow significantly if the SDLT holiday is not extended. 16 November 2020

Legal News desk contact: editorial@solicitorsjournal.com

Latest Articles

Litigation funding after PACCAR: adaptation and growth

How England’s litigation funding market is adapting post-PACCAR amid judicial flexibility, legislative signals, and continued expansion

Winston and Taylor Wessing merge to form new firm

Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing have voted to combine, creating a major transatlantic law firm

Mishcon de Reya appoints new leader

Mishcon de Reya has announced the election of Daniel Naftalin as its new Managing Partner, set to take office in summer 2026 after a transitional period

Fletchers comments on clinical negligence report

Peter Haden, chief executive of Fletchers, has welcomed the Public Accounts Committee's report on clinical negligence highlighting its human and financial impact and the importance of improved collaborative claims resolution methods

Ex-LCF CEO and wife face contempt

Michael and Debbie Thomson, former LCF CEO and his wife, admit to multiple court order breaches

Youth justice sees record lows in 2024

Recent statistics highlight significant reductions in youth justice involvement, but systemic delays and biases pose risks for progress

Government caps ground rents for leases

The UK government has announced a cap on ground rents in older leases, sparking mixed reactions among experts

Major boost for legal aid fees

Access to justice in Scotland has been significantly improved with a 13% increase in all legal aid fees following a sustained campaign from the Law Society of Scotland

LawCare surpasses pandemic support levels in 2025

LawCare's latest report reveals an unprecedented increase in mental health support demand within the legal sector in 2025, reaching 753 individuals, more than any previous year.

NHS negligence costs demand urgent action

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations urges transparency and solutions to tackle clinical negligence issues

Joseph Mark Taylor v James Lee Taylor: Unfair prejudice found in family property company dispute

High Court finds unfair prejudice in quasi-partnership property company after director excluded brother shareholder.

Molnar and Vargova v Secretary of State: deportation rights under the Withdrawal Agreement

Court of Appeal clarifies procedural safeguards for EU citizens facing deportation for post-Brexit offences.

Smith v Campbell: trustees' costs and indemnity in removal proceedings

High Court determines costs and trustee indemnity following partial success in removal claim.

Pawel Wysokinski v OCS Security Limited: Court venue for data protection claims

Appeal concerning the appropriate court venue for a data protection claim involving medical information disclosure.

Raphael Folarin v Immigration Services Commissioner: fitness to practise and criminal convictions

Appeal dismissed against refusal of registration as Level 1 immigration adviser due to criminal convictions.

SJ Interview: Joelle Grogan

Dr Joelle Grogan is a legal scholar specialising in the rule of law in times of crisis. She presents The Law Show on BBC Radio 4, and is Co-Academic Director of the Rule of Law Clinic at the CEU Democracy Institute (Budapest), and a Senior Research Fellow at the UCD Sutherland School of Law. Her work focuses on constitutional accountability, emergency powers, and legal misinformation. In this interview, she examines the pressures facing the rule of law in the UK, from executive power and court delays to media narratives, emergencies, and the impact of AI on legal practice.

AI in Law: responsibility never delegated

As AI becomes routine in legal practice, regulators and courts insist accountability stays firmly with the human professional