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Summer 2000 |
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NEWS (Continued from page 6)
UK Solicitors May Be Admitted to the Bar Debate continues as to whether the potential inclusion of Solicitors in the UK to the Bar will lead eventually to a merger between the two professions. The proposal to admit solicitor advocates who have qualified in the higher courts is likely to prove a contentious one with elements within the Bar, which have traditionally been protective of the differences between the professions. The proposals, from the Working Group on the Future of the Inns of Court, have been backed by the Lord Chief Justice and the nation’s most senior law lord, Lord Bingham of Cornhill. The group suggests that a select number of solicitors be invited to join the Inns of Court (originally founded in the 13th Century). In endorsing the proposals, Lord Woolf said that such a move was in the public interest as it would make solicitors more likely to "conform to the standards of the Bar". Advocates of the change also suggest that permitting solicitors to join the Bar will ensure its continued existence. By charging new members £1,000 (US$1,500) as opposed to £85 (US$127) for barristers, the move would also lead to an increase in revenue for the Inns of Court. Responding to the proposals, Robert Sayer, the President of the Law Society, which represents 80,000 solicitors in England and Wales (of whom about 1,000 are qualified as solicitor advocates) said, "this move is a clear sign that the outdated distinction between barristers and solicitors |
is fading away." He added that "the real question is whether we really need two professions, and I don’t think we do." However, the chairman of the Working Group, Court of Appeal judge Sir Murray Stuart-Smith, stated that it would be "wholly wrong" to view the proposals as a move towards the merging of the two professions. Note: Barristers and
Solicitors Barristers are regulated by the Bar Council (The General Council of the Bar of England and Wales) which is responsible for professional conduct and discipline, legal education and the validation of the institutions offering the Bar Vocational Course. Links: Law Society – www.lawsociety.org.uk The Inns of Court The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn - www.graysinn.org.uk/index.htm The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple - www.innertemple.org.uk/ The Honourable Socety of Lincoln’s Inn - www.lincolnsinn.org.uk/ The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple - www.middletemple.org. uk/informat.htm The text of the report of the Working Party on the Future of the Inns of Court (April 2000) can be found at www.middletemple.org.uk/innfutre.htm |
Cemetery
Regulators Hold Symposium On May 24, 2000 the North American Cemetery Regulators Association (NCRA), AARP and the Consumer Federation of America joined forces to present the first National Symposium on Death Care as a Consumer Issue in Washington, D.C. The symposium offered a unique opportunity for the different segments of the industry to share information about consumer education, consumer protection and their role in the processes of death and dying. The format consisted of three panels followed by questions from the audience participants. The Industry panel included representatives from the National Casket Retailers Association, Cremation Association of North American, International Cemetery and Funeral Association, Monument Builders of North America and National Funeral Directors Association. Each panelist outlined their role in the process and the consumer complaint resolution processes. The Consumer Information panel was made up of representatives from AARP, FAMSA - Funeral Consumers Alliance, National Cooperative Business Association and NCRA.
Panelists in this segment outlined issues consumers need to be aware
of and provided information about where to go for help in the event there
is a dispute between the provider and the family. The
Government and Regulatory Agency panel included the Federal Trade
Commission, |
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