Public fear legal aid cuts will lead to wrongful convictions, poll finds – The Guardian

Posted May 21st, 2013 in consultations, legal aid, miscarriage of justice, news, statistics by sally

“More than 70% of the public fear that further cuts to legal aid could result in innocent people being convicted of crimes they did not commit, according to an opinion poll released by the Bar Council.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Interview: Chris Grayling – Law Society’s Gazette

“In his foreword to the consultation on ‘transforming’ legal aid, justice secretary Chris Grayling explains that change is needed to ‘boost public confidence’ and cut costs, which he claims have ‘spiralled out of control’. Speaking to the Gazette, he offers no empirical evidence that the public has lost confidence in the system. But he claims to have received ‘lots of letters and emails’ from people concerned about legal aid entitlement. He alludes to prisoners getting legal aid ‘to argue they should have a different cell’, and migrants receiving civil legal aid.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 20th May 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Home Office calls for evidence in Balance of Competences Review – Home Office

Posted May 20th, 2013 in asylum, consultations, freedom of movement, immigration, news by sally

“The government has today launched calls for evidence on the balance of powers between the UK and the European Union on asylum and immigration, and on the Free Movement of Persons.”

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Home Office, 16th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Stop and Tase? – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted May 20th, 2013 in consultations, damages, judicial review, news, police, statistics, weapons by sally

“Last month saw the launch of the judicial review of the ‘Taser Roll-out Programme’. The landmark challenge comes after the Metropolitan Police Service and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) began the roll-out of Tasers across all 32 boroughs of London without holding a public consultation or providing the public with information about the Programme. Forty officers in each borough will be trained to use the Taser; eight officers per shift and two Emergency Response Teams will have Tasers with them at any one time. The judicial review also raises the issue that there was a legitimate expectation that the ‘Taser Policy’ across London would remain in force and that there is an arguable breach of art.2 and 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights in continuing with the implementation of the Programme.”

Full story

Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 18th May 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

Criminal legal aid cuts to reach £370m – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 20th, 2013 in budgets, consultations, fees, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

“The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that projected savings of £150m in fee cuts will not, as was expected, count towards required cuts of £220m a year – taking cuts in criminal legal aid to £370m.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th May 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Balance of Competences Review: Call for Evidence on Civil Judicial Cooperation (including family matters) – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 20th, 2013 in civil justice, consultations, EC law, news by sally

“The Balance of Competences Review, launched by the Government last summer, is an opportunity for people to have their say on what the EU does and how it affects the UK. This piece of work will deepen our understanding of EU membership, and help shape the UK’s policies in relation to the EU.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 16th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Legal watchdog warns budget cuts will damage justice – The Guardian

“Depriving defendants of the ability to choose their own solicitor will undermine confidence in the criminal justice system, an official legal watchdog warned on Monday.”

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The Guardian, 20th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Your views wanted for EU review on civil and family justice – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 17th, 2013 in civil justice, consultations, EC law, news by sally

“Lawyers, business groups and the public are all being asked to submit their views on the balance of competences between the UK and the European Union on civil judicial cooperation (including family matters).”

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Ministry of Justice, 16th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Crime and Courts Act 2013: Consultation on the application of the equal merit provision – Judicial Appointments Commission

“The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is interested in views on potential approaches to the application of the provisions in Part 2 of Schedule 13 to the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (CCA) relating to diversity considerations where candidates for judicial office are of equal merit. The provisions in the CCA clarify that the JAC’s duty to make selections ‘solely on merit’ (S63(2) Constitutional Reform Act 2005) does not prevent it from selecting one candidate over another for the purpose of increasing judicial diversity where there are two candidates of equal merit.”

Full story

Judicial Appointments Commission, 17th May 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Will the new criminal legal aid reforms breach the right to a fair trial? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 17th, 2013 in consultations, criminal justice, human rights, legal aid, news, trials by sally

“One of the most contentious proposals in the Consultation Paper on the transforming legal aid is the removal of client choice in criminal cases. Under the proposals contracts for the provision of legal aid will be awarded to a limited number of firms in an area. The areas are similar to the existing CPS areas. The Green Paper anticipates that there will be four or five such providers in each area. Thus the county of Kent, for example, will have four or five providers in an area currently served by fifty or so legal aid firms. Each area will have a limited number providers that will offer it is argued economies of scale.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 16th May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Stopping poor quality and time-wasting expert evidence in family courts – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 16th, 2013 in consultations, delay, expert witnesses, family courts, fees, news, standards by sally

“New national standards to raise the quality of experts used in family courts and get rid of time-consuming evidence which adds little value in helping judges reach a decision were announced by the Government today.”

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Ministry of Justice, 16th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Standards for expert witnesses in the family courts in England and Wales – Ministry of Justice

“This is a consultation on minimum standards for expert witnesses providing evidence in the family courts in proceedings relating to children in England and Wales.”

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Ministry of Justice, 16th May 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Ministers seek to cut £50m legal aid bill for expert witnesses in family courts – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2013 in consultations, evidence, expert witnesses, family courts, fees, legal aid, news by sally

“Too many expert witnesses are being paid to give evidence of little value in family courts, according to the Ministry of Justice which is proposing a fresh round of cuts to legal aid.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council Publishes Legal Aid Consultation Core Case – Family Law Bar Association

Posted May 14th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, fees, legal aid, news, tenders by sally

“The Bar Council has published a document summarising it’s core case in respect of the current consultation in respect of legal aid. Read that document here. The proposals include the introduction of Price Competitive Tendering in criminal work and further fee cuts to solicitors (10%) and experts (20%) in family cases.”

Full story

Family Law Bar Association, 8th May 2013

Source: www.flba.co.uk

CPS publishes Guidance on Charging Offences arising from Driving Incidents following public consultation – Crown Prosecution service

“The Crown Prosecution Service has today published its Guidance on Charging Offences arising from Driving Incidents. The two most significant changes from previous guidance concern drivers in emergencies and deaths where the victim is a close friend or relative of the driver.”

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 9th May 2013

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Bar Standards Board extends first registration phase for QASA – Bar Standards Board

“The Bar Standards Board will extend the first QASA registration period to ensure that the Criminal Bar will have more time to consider the consequences of government changes to legal aid before registering. The end of the first registration period will now be 9 March 2014, which will be after the Ministry of Justice publishes its final response to the consultation, ‘Transforming legal aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system’.”

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 10th May 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Review into Riot Damages Act announced – Home Office

Posted May 10th, 2013 in compensation, consultations, legislation, news, violent disorder by sally

“The Riot Damages Act will be independently reviewed to ensure it protects the vulnerable and provides value for money, the government announced today.”

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Home Office, 9th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Victim Support criticises code changes – BBC News

Posted May 10th, 2013 in codes of practice, consultations, news, victims by sally

“Up to 700,000 victims of crime could find it harder to get help because of plans to change the Code for Victims in England and Wales, Victim Support says.”

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BBC News, 10th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid tendering: will it actually work? – The Guardian

Posted May 9th, 2013 in consultations, legal aid, news, tenders by tracey

“The MoJ’s public consultations on legal aid reforms show they are open-minded, but if the aim remains to reduce spending, what about the cost to justice?”

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The Guardian, 8th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

“To Decide or not to Decide, that is the Question…” – the impact of R (H) v Kingston upon Hull City Council – Family Law Week

“Dave Phillips and Naomi Madderson, members of the child care team at 37 Park Square Chambers, consider the impact of a case in which a local authority which removed two children subject to an interim care order was judicially reviewed and in which the authors acted.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 6th May 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk