In Frejek v Frejek, Roth J dealt effectively with a committal application remotely by Skype and in the respondent’s absence. Roth J found the respondent to be in contempt of court but would not deal with sentencing. Instead, a bench warrant was issued for the respondent to be brought before the court specifically for sentencing. Continue reading
The Senior Courts Costs Office (SCCO), like all courts, has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. As with many other courts, the SCCO is doing its level best to keep the wheels of justice turning, by embracing remote hearings, electronic filing, and new practices. The court is coping well, likely assisted by most of those appearing before it being represented, and the implementation of electronic filing last year giving it a head start over some courts in handling electronic documents. Continue reading
The recent decision of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) to strike off Claire Matthews, a junior solicitor, after she left a locked briefcase on a train containing confidential client documents, concerned many within the legal profession. On 28 May 2020, the Law Society Gazette reported that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) had defended its decision, in a letter to the Junior Lawyers Division (JLD). Continue reading