Category: law centres

Unrepresented claimant wins appeal against lawyers over house sale – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 20th, 2023 in appeals, law centres, legal advice, negligence, news, sale of land, service charges by tracey

‘An unrepresented claimant has won her appeal against lawyers in a negligence case described by the judge as a “stark example” of how attempts to hasten a victory go wrong.

Opening his judgment in Anna Christie v Mary Ward Legal Centre and Anor, The Honourable Mr Justice Turner said: “There is no shortage of civil cases in which well-intentioned attempts to hasten victory have had the very opposite effect. This case is a stark example of what can happen when things go wrong.”‘

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 19th July 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Litigant in person can sue law centre and barrister for negligence – Legal Futures

Posted July 5th, 2022 in barristers, law centres, limitations, litigants in person, negligence, news, sale of land, striking out by sally

‘A litigant in person is not statute-barred from suing a law centre and barrister for professional negligence, a High Court master has ruled.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 5th July 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The Legal Aid Funding Gap Could ‘Push Millions Into Poverty’. What Can We Do? – Each Other

Posted July 28th, 2020 in bereavement, carers, disabled persons, human rights, law centres, legal aid, news by sally

‘“There is no way on heaven and earth that I would have been able to [fight my case] in the state I was, I would have just fallen through,” says Michael, whose wife Pauline tragically passed away from a progressive degenerative condition in July 2017.’

Full Story

Each Other, 27th July 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

‘We are the A&E of law’: the first UK law centre for poor people turns 50 – The Guardian

Posted July 28th, 2020 in law centres, legal aid, news by sally

‘Austerity cuts to legal aid may have restricted North Kensington’s resources, but they haven’t crushed its spirit.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

MoJ pumps £5.4m into not-for-profit advice sector – Legal Futures

Posted May 5th, 2020 in budgets, charities, coronavirus, law centres, news by sally

‘The government has announced a £5.4m cash injection for law centres and other legal advice charities to help people with housing, debt, discrimination and employment problems during the Covid-19 crisis.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 5th May 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

In search of local justice – New Law Journal

Posted December 10th, 2019 in law centres, news by sally

‘Keith Wilding explains the difference Law Centres make to individual lives.’

Full Story

New Law Journal, 5th December 2019

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Legal advice centres in England and Wales halved since 2013-14 – The Guardian

Posted July 15th, 2019 in budgets, citizens advice bureaux, law centres, legal aid, legal services, news, pro bono work by tracey

‘Half of all law centres and not-for-profit legal advice services in England and Wales have closed over the past six years, according to government figures.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal aid deserts: MPs and peers express ‘grave concerns’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 19th, 2018 in civil justice, human rights, law centres, legal aid, news, reports, select committees by tracey

‘Squeezing the legal aid budget has left vast numbers of people – including the most vulnerable – unable to assert their rights, the Law Society said today. In a report published today, Enforcing Human Rights, parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights reflects the Law Society’s concerns that large parts of England and Wales are becoming “legal aid deserts”, as solicitors are forced to withdraw from services because they can no longer afford to do the work.’

Full report

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 19th July 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Centres Network wins battle with MoJ over housing legal aid scheme changes – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 25th, 2018 in housing, judicial review, law centres, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘A High Court judge has quashed changes introduced by the Ministry of Justice to the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS), it has been reported.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 22nd June 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Dramatic decline in access to legal help for immigration detainees, reports charity – Legal Voice

Posted December 7th, 2017 in detention, immigration, law centres, legal representation, news, reports by sally

‘The number of immigration detainees with no access to legal representation while in detention has tripled in the past few months, a new survey published by the immigration detention charity BID has indicated.’

Full Story

Legal Voice, 6th December 2017

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Underfunded and overstretched: the lawyers seeking justice for Grenfell – The Guardian

Posted July 25th, 2017 in bereavement, fire, housing, law centres, legal aid, news, pro bono work, victims by sally

‘North Kensington Law Centre was the first in the UK to offer access to justice for the poor and vulnerable. Now fighting for financial survival, the tragedy on its doorstep has meant NKLC’s services are more in demand than ever.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 24th July 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Charity issues guidance on publication of judgments about family matters – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 11th, 2017 in family courts, judgments, law centres, news by sally

‘The Transparency Project has published a new guide designed to help parties in the family justice system “navigate the complicated issue of publishing judgments about private family matters”.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 10th July 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

McKenzie Friend Marketplace to ban “active” students from giving legal advice in wake of criticism – Legal Futures

Posted March 28th, 2017 in codes of practice, internet, law centres, McKenzie friends, news, trainee solicitors, universities by sally

‘The McKenzie Friend Marketplace (MFM), which hopes to help hundreds of law students find paid work offering legal services, has responded to criticism from practitioners by announcing that it will ban active students from providing legal advice – although they will be able to give clients other types of support.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 28th March 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Benefit claimants twice as likely to experience multiple legal problems, according to MoJ study – Legal Voice

Posted March 9th, 2017 in benefits, law centres, legal aid, news, social services, victims by sally

‘People receiving means-tested benefits were twice as likely to experience multiple legal problems as those who did not, according to new research by the Ministry of Justice. It also found that almost one in four black and minority ethnic adults received no help in relation to their legal problems compared with 15% of white adults.’

Full story

Legal Voice, 7th March 2017

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Remember when legal aid was slashed? The awful effects are taking hold – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2017 in citizens advice bureaux, law centres, legal aid, news by sally

‘A new volunteer-run law centre in Manchester is the exception. More commonly, advice services across the country are either closed or struggling’

Full story

The Guardian, 9th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

At last: MoJ announces timetable for LASPO review – Law society’s Gazette

Posted January 19th, 2017 in housing, law centres, legal aid, news by tracey

‘The government has set the ball rolling on the long-awaited review of its controversial legal aid reforms, the Ministry of Justice has announced.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 18th January 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Demand for free legal advice spiralling upwards, charity reports – Legal Futures

Posted December 20th, 2016 in families, law centres, law firms, news, pro bono work, reports by sally

‘There is fast-growing growing demand for free legal advice, with family law now the most requested area of law, according to the experience of LawWorks, the solicitors’ national pro bono charity.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 19th December 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New legal aid ‘advice deserts’ emerge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 12th, 2016 in housing, law centres, law firms, legal aid, news by sally

‘Further evidence of the problem of legal aid ‘advice deserts’ has emerged with a new government attempt to plug holes in the provision of housing and debt services.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 9th December 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court challenge over award of helpline contract to G4S fails – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 6th, 2016 in contracting out, contracts, equality, law centres, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘The Law Centres Network (LCN) has lost its bid to prevent G4S being awarded a government contract to run the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) helpline.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 6th October 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

G4S equality helpline contract raises serious concern, high court told – The Guardian

Posted September 30th, 2016 in contracting out, contracts, equality, judicial review, law centres, news, public procurement by tracey

‘Awarding global security firm G4S the contract to run a national discrimination helpline raises “serious and legitimate grounds for concern” and risks undermining the service’s credibility, the high court has been told. A judicial review challenge supported by human rights groups and the Law Centres Network has called on the government to delay transferring operation of the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) to G4S.’

Full story

The Guardian, 29th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk