A QUESTION OF QASA…

QASA (the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates) has been on our mind quite a bit this week here at LNTV HQ.  First of all, the ever important issue of whether this might be one of the worst legal acronyms to actually try and say (although doing so does get you kudos from some who believe you have an ability to speak Japanese).  The debate over that continues, as it seems does the question of QASA itself.

Earlier in the week it looked like we finally had the answer as to whether this controversial scheme would be going ahead when the Court of Appeal rejected a challenge by barristers.  Lord Dyson held that the scheme did not undermine the independence of advocates or the judiciary and did not interfere with fundamental rights or constitutional principles.  Lord Dyson did however note that the scheme divides opinion, and that’s certainly something we can all agree on.  The decision was welcomed by the Legal Services Board, and so we started to look at where we could add a QASA programme into our forthcoming schedule, which we’ve been waiting to make since the reaccreditation scheme was put on hold over two years ago!

Then all was halted again as the Solicitors’ Association of Higher Courts Advocates repeated calls to delay the introduction of the scheme, and there’s rumour that an appeal to the Supreme Court is being considered.  What happens next is anyone’s guess and we’ll be watching developments with interest, but now our QASA programme goes back to the ideas folder.

Until next time, sayounara…

IN THE STUDIO….

Well, we’ve been lucky enough to have three fantastic legal experts in our studio this week here at LNTV – Thomas Croxford, Alev Giz and Matthew Harpin.

Tom is a barrister with Blackstone Chambers in London who specialises in employment law, and was awarded Employment Junior of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards 2014 (well done Tom!).  He gave us advice relating to age discrimination for employment practitioners following the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Seldon v Clarkson Wright & Jakes (2014) for a future LNTV programme called ‘Age Discrimination Update’.  We last interviewed Tom back in 2011 for a programme dealing with TUPE pension provisions, so it was great to have him in the studio again!

Alev is a barrister and child law specialist who is regularly instructed in both public and private law proceedings.  She told us about the public law aspects of the Children and Families Act 2014 for a future LNTV programme called ‘Children and Families Act Part II’.  We’re sure you’ll have worked out that Part I tackles the private law aspects of the Act!  Alev talked about the 26 week deadline for care and supervision proceedings, extensions to that deadline, the timeframe for interim care and supervision orders, and changes made to contact with children in care.  We last interviewed Alev in April this year to discuss the new standards for expert witnesses in children’s cases – we hope her return means she enjoyed the experience!

Matthew is a solicitor with Browne Jacobson in Birmingham specialising in defendant employers’ liability and public liability work.  He spoke to us about the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 s.69, and the impact and changes that’s made to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the ‘Six Pack’ of Health and Safety Regulations, for a future LNTV programme called ‘Accidents at Work Update’.  It’s one that we know many of our subscribers are looking forward to.

Other than that we’ve been busy writing a new programme which will provide an introduction to arbitration for all those newly qualified practitioners out there.  Well, it’s better that than watching the nights drawing in through the office window – dark by 7 p.m.?  No thank you, wake us up in Spring!

Until next time….