Features

Law firms take up the supermarket challenge

More than 200 law firms in England and Wales have signed up to relaunch themselves under the brand QualitySolicitors, providing ‘no frills’ legal advice on conveyancing, consumer and contract disputes, and family law. In an attempt to head off competition from the Co-op supermarket chain and the Halifax, which are poised to enter the legal
market, the first 15 branches will opened in May with a further 35 in August.

The Co-op is hiring solicitors and predicting a £200 million (HK$2.24 billion) turnover within a few years and is the first major shake-up after the Legal Services Act 2007 was passed.

QualitySolicitors branches in shopping centres will offer extended opening hours, free consultations and a range of fixed-fee services.

First Canadian charged under terror-financing law

Prapaharan Thambithurai, who raised funds in Vancouver for the Tamil Tigers, has become the first Canadian to be charged under Canada’s anti-terrorism financing law and sent to jail for financing terrorists. Thambithurai was given a six-month sentence at the British Columbia Supreme Court for raising CAD$600 (HK$4400) for the Tamil Tigers during a visit to Vancouver in 2008. He had pleaded guilty to the charge. Justice Robert Powers said he hoped the sentence would deter people from collecting money for terrorist groups in Canada but admitted it may not deter fanatics.

French Cabinet approves law on burqa ban

The French Cabinet has approved a law which seeks a ban on Islamic burquas in public places. The draft will become a full-fledged law when it is passed in Parliament. President Nicolas Sarkozy is hopeful that his right-wing majority will give a safe passage to the law. According to the law, no one in France will be allowed to wear a garment ‘designed to hide the face’. Those who break the law will be fined €150 (HK$1400) or sent on a course to learn the values of French citizenship. In April 2010, the Belgian House of Representatives had voted 136-0 to approve a bill that would ban the burqa and other full face veils in public.

Lithuania court rules swastikas are part of historic legacy

A Lithuanian court has ruled that the image of the swastika is part of the country’s cultural identity and not a Nazi symbol. The ruling came in response to a suit that was filed against four men who carried posters that included photographs of an archaeological finding in Lithuania, which showed the symbol during the Independence Day parade. A witness for the defence testified that the symbol had historical roots in the Baltic culture and that the image had been corrupted by others. Initially the swastika was the sign of the sun.

Australia will bring legal action against Japan for whaling

Australia has said it will begin legal action against Japan over its whaling in the Antarctic. It will argue that the annual whaling hunt in the Southern Ocean is in violation of an international ban on commercial whaling. Japan, which kills hundreds of whales every
year, says the hunt is carried out for scientific research purposes. The Australian government said it will lodge formal proceedings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Critics say that ‘scientific whaling’ is a cover for commercial whaling and that whale meat not used in research is sold for food.

Singapore to introduce CPD for the legal profession

A proposed plan to introduce a compulsory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme for members of the legal profession in Singapore will be put up for public feedback later this year. Under this scheme, Singapore lawyers will be required to fulfil a specified number of hours on legal education programmes every year before they can renew their practising certificates. Law academics, paralegals, in-house counsel, arbitrators, legal counsel in government ministries and foreign lawyers will initially be exempted from CPD requirements.

The introduction of a mandatory legal education scheme was recommended in the September 2007 Report of the Committee to Develop the Singapore Legal Sector. The Singapore Academy of Law said the board of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education, chaired by Justice V K Rajah, is currently developing the framework for CPD. The scheme will be introduced in phases, starting with a trial period from June next year, with full implementation by April 2012. It will be administered by the institute.