Lawyers are too rich to join the judiciary, Lord Thomas, the Lord Chief Justice has told Peers. The House of Lords Constitution Committee heard last week that the judiciary is having problems recruiting suitable candidates to the bench, particularly the High Court, because private practice has been so prosperous in recent years that people don’t want to accept a pay cut. Traditionally, the judicial pension was a big draw for applicants, but Lord Thomas said the Chancellor’s £10,000 tax relief cap on pensions had acted as a deterrent.
04 May 2016
Rich lawyers reluctant to become judges
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch
Partner hire strengthens global infrastructure and energy financing practice
Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr
Legal director bolsters international expertise in dispute resolution team
Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown
Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team
NEWS
NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
Law firm HFW is offering clients lawyers on call for dawn raids, sanctions issues and other regulatory emergencies
From gender-critical speech to notice periods and incapability dismissals, employment law continues to turn on fine distinctions. In his latest employment law brief for NLJ, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School reviews a cluster of recent decisions, led by Bailey v Stonewall, where the Court of Appeal clarified the limits of third-party liability under the Equality Act
Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
Assisted dying remains one of the most fraught fault lines in English law, where compassion and criminal liability sit uncomfortably close. Writing in NLJ this week, Julie Gowland and Barny Croft of Birketts examine how acts motivated by care—booking travel, completing paperwork, or offering emotional support—can still fall within the wide reach of the Suicide Act 1961
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
