Fees cut for lasting powers of attorney – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 17th, 2013 in fees, news, powers of attorney by sally

“Anyone applying for a lasting power of attorney (LPA) to choose someone they trust to make decisions for them if they lose mental capacity will be helped by a 15 per cent cut in the application fee announced by Justice Minister Helen Grant.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 16th July 2013

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

Legal aid reforms could undermine fundamental principles of justice, warns CPS – The Independent

“Government plans to reform legal aid for criminal suspects could undermine the fundamental principles of justice in England and Wales, the official prosecuting body has suggested.”

Full story

The Independent, 16th July 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Proposals for radical overhaul of bar practising fee sparks fury – The Lawyer

Posted July 16th, 2013 in barristers, fees, news, remuneration by sally

“Top earning civil barristers are threatening revolt over plans to charge them a practising certificate fee (PCF) based on annual income.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 15th July 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Now is the time for a total review – The Bar Council

“Barristers are such an easy target. Trite sneers are instantly available to the disappointed litigant, failed pupil or populist politician. We are ‘fat cats’ sitting in ‘Georgian terraces’ bleating about the ‘racket’ coming to an end. The natural response of the practitioner to these comments is anger and frustration.”

Full story (PDF)

The Bar Council, July 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Cost of practising as a solicitor to rise sharply – Legal Futures

“The cost of practising as a solicitor is set to rise at a rate of more than four times inflation, if the Law Society’s council approves figures that will be put before it later this week.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 8th July 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Unison to Judicially Review ‘Brutal’ Employment Tribunal Fees – UK Human Rights Blog

“News that Unison has applied for Judicial Review of the Government’s controversial plans to introduce fees in the Employment Tribunal has gone viral in the Labour Law community. A key theme in the application is access to justice for working people, particularly women.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 21st June 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Reforms to cut the Judicial Review period will come into force next month – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 14th, 2013 in fees, judicial review, news, time limits by sally

“The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that new rules in relation to Judicial Review of planning decisions will come into force on 1 July.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 13th June 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Bar Council Chairman: We will not facilitate a scheme which will wreck the criminal justice system – The Bar Council

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today stated that it has no plans to develop a quality system to facilitate price competitive tendering (PCT) for criminal legal aid. The Bar Council believes that real quality is based on choice of service providers, not price alone, on which the Government’s model is based. The Bar Council’s response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation clearly sets out its position on this issue.

Full story

The Bar Council, 5th June 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

The Regan reforms – New Law Journal

Posted May 31st, 2013 in civil justice, expert witnesses, fees, news by sally

“Dominic Regan is in the mood for change post-Jackson.”

Full story

New Law Journal, 30th May 2013

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Regina (Hemming (t/a Simply Pleasure Ltd and others) v Westminster City Council – WLR Daily

Regina (Hemming (t/a Simply Pleasure Ltd and others) v Westminster City Council [2013] EWCA Civ 591; [2013] WLR (D) 203

“Since the coming into force of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009 a local authority was not permitted, when determining the reasonable licence fee for sex establishments, to reflect in the fee which it determined the cost of enforcing the licensing system against unlicensed operators.”

WLR Daily, 24th May 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Sex shop chain in Soho wins landmark legal battle against Westminster Council over license fees – The Independent

Posted May 28th, 2013 in appeals, fees, licensed premises, local government, news, sex establishments by sally

“A sex shop chain in Soho has won a major victory against license fees charged by Westminster City Council, in a landmark decision that the council believe could ‘open the flood gates for illegal pornography.'”

Full story

The Independent, 24th May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal firms don’t respond to SME legal needs which is both a problem and an opportunity – Legal Services Board

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in fees, legal services, news, small businesses, statistics by sally

“The Legal Services Board publishes today a report on the legal needs of small businesses. The
report – In need of Advice? – is the first time that this issue has been investigated in England and
Wales.”

Full story (PDF)

Legal Services Board, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Related link: Findings of the Small Business Legal Needs Benchmarking Survey

Access to justice at risk with court fee plans, warns CJC – Litigation Futures

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in consultations, courts, fees, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“Government plans to reform the regime for court fees remissions and introduce a means test are too severe and ‘will diminish access to justice for a sizeable group of low-income families’, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) has warned.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Massive unmet legal need among small businesses, landmark research finds – Legal Futures

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in fees, legal services, news, small businesses, statistics by sally

“Legal problems are costing small businesses in England and Wales £100bn a year, with fears over the cost of legal advice meaning they are far more likely to go it alone than seek help, authoritative new research from the Legal Services Board (LSB) has found.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.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

Changes to Civil Procedure Rules and court costs made in April 2013 – OUT-LAW.com

“From 1 April 2013 a number of changes to the Civil Procedure Rules (CPRs) governing court action in England and Wales took effect. This is a summary of those changes.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

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.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th May 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Cut Price Justice – Garden Court Chambers Blog

“Anna Morris explains why the legal profession and the public must unite to oppose the government’s attack on legal aid.”

Full story

Garden Court Chambers Blog, 20th May 2013

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.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.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 16th May 2013

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

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