Judge Richard Davison has dismissed Claire Smyth’s High Court claim for airlines to proactively compensate passengers, estimated to be worth £319m, stating it was “not in the interest of consumers.” Smyth sought to represent passengers unaware of their rights for 116,000 flights from 2016 to 2022 after her own flight was cancelled. The judge noted that the “dominant motive” for the claim was financial gain for its backers, particularly John Armour, rather than consumer interests. He highlighted the excessive deductions proposed from compensation and the significant burden on airlines to identify affected passengers. The judge…

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has conceded that some serious offenders will be eligible for early release under plans to free up space in prisons, contradicting previous statements. Under the new scheme, prisoners serving consecutive sentences for less serious crimes can leave after completing 40% of their sentence, even if it follows a serious offence. This admission follows an investigation by Channel 4 News, which reported on probation whistleblowers who warned that some serious…

Banks will be able to freeze payments for up to four days under new rules to prevent fraud, that’s up from the 24 hours banks currently have to investigate. The move comes ahead of the implementation of new rules to reimburse all victims of “Authorised Push Payment” APP fraud from October. However, lawyers warn that the change could cause chaos for home movers. Gareth Richards, of the Society of Licensed Conveyancers, said there are already sufficient steps in place for banks to identify unusual or suspicious activity.

The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) has teamed up with leading banks and technology firms to combat fraud. The coalition includes companies such as Barclays, Amazon Web Services, EY, A&O Shearman, Lloyds Bank, Mastercard, Revolut, Santander and others. The Financial Conduct Authority and the Payment Systems Regulator will also be involved. Their aim will be to develop a digital corporate ID to thwart fraudsters and create a more secure economy. Ezechi Britton MBE,…

Aspiring solicitors should be paid at least £24,320 outside of London and £27,418 in the capital for qualifying working experience or during their training contract, according to the Law Society. The recommended rise for 2024/25 is 5.18% compared to the 9.98% uplift put forward last year. Society president Nick Emmerson said the increase in recommended…

Figures show that 74 of the highest-earning law firms in the world are American, with more than 60 having a London office. Recent research reveals that three of the five highest-earning legal practices for UK corporate work were American. Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins are the two biggest-earning law firms for UK corporate…