The Guardian has reported that Peter Cruddas, the former Conservative Party co-treasurer, has been awarded £45,000 in libel damages plus costs from a former aide to Tony Blair. The action was brought by Cruddas following allegations made in the Sunday Times in March 2012 that he unlawfully solicited donations whilst he was the Conservative Party co-treasurer, a position … Continue reading
An article in the Guardian has described a new trend amongst students. ‘Spotted’ pages have been set up to allow those studying in university libraries to distract themselves by anonymously posting comments about other students in an online forum on Facebook. Although there seems to be an inevitable movement from harmless joviality and flirtation to pointed abuse extending beyond … Continue reading
In December 2012, Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) set out interim guidelines for the prosecution of people who misuse social media, but are these suitable for use in the workplace? As a result of an increase in the number of allegations the Crown Prosecution Service has had to deal with – about … Continue reading
Whether it’s real or the work of mischievous hackers, an outburst on Twitter today, seemingly from the troubled retailer’s own employees, highlights a problem many employers may face in the coming years. HMV’s 62,561 Twitter followers received a twenty minute tirade of messages from workers in the process of being dismissed. Initially light-hearted, the missives soon … Continue reading
PODCAST: with guest Hannah Ganage-Stewart, Editor, Young Lawyer On Wednesday, Law Society chief Lucy Scott-Moncrieff revealed to Kevin Poulter that the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR) is “almost certain” to identify non-graduate routes to qualification as a lawyer. With skills minister Matthew Hancock last month announcing a plan to develop a qualifying-apprenticeship for solicitors (in addition to the … Continue reading
Young Lawyer Reports Interview with President Young Lawyer Magazine quotes from Legal Cheek interview with Lucy Scott-Moncrieff and picks up on the alternative routes to qualification which may result from the Legal Education and Training Review. Continue reading
The ‘social media police’ are out in force in the civil service The Guardian recently reported that 116 civil servants in the Department for Work and Pensions have been disciplined since 2009 for their use of social media at work, of which 11 have been dismissed. The DWP has stated that access to social media … Continue reading
PODCAST – Interview with Lucy Scott-Moncrieff Law Society president Lucy Scott-Moncrieff raised eyebrows in the City last week when she suggested that some of its law firms had promoted “mediocre men” who in a true meritocracy “would never even have seen the paintings on the boardroom wall”. And Scott-Moncrieff is in no mood to backtrack … Continue reading
Despite a late arrival into Tegel airport, only 8 kilometres from the city of Berlin, the welcome at the Hotel Adlon could not have been warmer, or grander. Stepping in to the warmth of the lobby lounge all senses are immediately coddled: the resident pianist presenting an interpretation of modern classics, the crisp taste and … Continue reading
PODCAST: With Guest Heather Townsend When pushed to get out and flaunt their wares, many lawyers tend to think (but rarely say) stuff like: “I did not go into law to become a salesperson.” These snobs are doomed for the scrapheap, reckons legal careers guru Heather Townsend – although she puts it rather more diplomatically … Continue reading
Kevin Poulter 