Blog Post
Are integrity and honesty one and the same?
Following a multitude of case law, the Court of Appeal decided that lack of integrity and dishonesty are not synonymous in the context of a solicitor's professional conduct.
Blog Post
Blockchain for regulators – what is it and how could it be used?
Blockchain is widely recognised to be one of the most exciting and potentially transformative technologies around at the moment, but a lot of people outside the technology and finance spheres do not really understand what it is, why there is so much hype or how it can be used. Here we begin to speculate on how it could be used in the world of professional regulation.
Blog Post
Public and Regulatory Group predictions for 2017
As we enter 2017 the Public and Regulatory team at Fieldfisher has been considering its predictions for legal developments in the sector in the year ahead. Here are a few of the areas we think are "ones to watch".
Blog Post
Doctor v Patient: Balancing the data privacy question
By Daniel Langley, Solicitor Dr DB v. General Medical Council [2016] EWHC 2331 (QB). A recent judgment of the High Court (relating to a complaint about a doctor to the GMC) indicates that in matters concerning personal data, it is imperative to consider that: (1) there must be a balance between each respective data subject; (2) in the absence of consent, the rebuttable presumption is against disclosure; and (3) if it appears that the sole or dominant purpose is to obtain a document for the purpose of a claim against the other data subject, one should favour refusal.
Blog Post
A new regulator for social workers in England?
On 20 May the Children and Social Work Bill 2016 had its first reading in the House of Lords. Among other provisions, it includes enabling legislation for a new regulator of social workers in England, taking over from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Blog Post
The Government responds to the Law Commission report on the Regulation of Health and Social Care
The Government has published its response to the Law Commission, the Scottish Law Commission and Northern Ireland Law Commission's report on the Regulation of Health and Social Care. This blog
Blog Post
Regulation of the unregulated: the rise of fee-charging McKenzie Friends
Litigants in Person have long had a right to assistance in court from a layperson, known as a McKenzie Friend, and this has traditionally been done by a family member, friend, or volunteer. However in
Blog Post
Useful guidance from the High Court on under-charging by professional regulators
Professional Standards Authority v General Chiropractic Council and Briggs [2014] EWHC 2190In this case the High Court remitted a decision to a freshly constituted PCC where it considered that the