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NHS trust not liable for suicide of voluntary mental health patient

An NHS trust was not liable under human rights laws for the suicide of a voluntary mental health patient, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

No prosecution for assisted-suicide doctor

A retired GP who paid for a patient to fly out to Switzerland to end his life will not be prosecuted under the new assisted suicide guidelines, the CPS has announced.

Non-lawyer will writers to be regulated north of the border

The Scottish Parliament has passed amendments to the Legal Services (Scotland) Bill which will see a regulation body set up to control non-lawyer will writers.

Holding on to knowledge

An area that has always gained much attention from a KM perspective is knowledge retention. How do you know what knowledge your business has and how do you hold onto it? For succession planning, this issue has particular resonance. If an important lawyer leaves the firm, they may well take their vital knowledge with them. With baby boomers coming up to retirement, it's not just individuals who are likely to leave, but a whole swathe of partners who are currently the lifeblood of the business.

Courts and legal aid in firing line as MoJ faces massive budget cuts

The Ministry of Justice will have to cut its budget by at least 25 per cent over the next four years over and above its existing commitment to slash spending by £685m, it has emerged.

VAT rise dominates budget

VAT will rise from 17.5 to 20 per cent from 4 January 2011, the chancellor George Osborne has announced during his first budget speech this afternoon.

Herding or leading?

With multiple personalities and professionals to engage in a persuasive vision, law firm leadership can be a sharp learning curve for the new managing partner who gets the calling. By Julious P Smith, Jr, chairman of Williams Mullen.

Who's your daddy?

DNA tests are available for fathers who believe they may be victims of paternity fraud, but should practitioners always advise clients to get tested before making any financial arrangements? Sharon Smith reports