Crowdsourcing “can accurately predict court decisions 80% of time” says study – Legal Futures

Posted January 8th, 2018 in civil justice, judgments, legal aid, news by sally

‘Crowdsourcing is an accurate predictor of court judgments, at best proving accurate in over eight out of ten cases, according to a rigorous analysis.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 8th January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Changes to legal aid for victims of domestic abuse in force on Monday – Legal Aid Handbook

Posted January 8th, 2018 in children, domestic violence, evidence, legal aid, news, regulations, time limits by sally

‘Funding for private family law cases is generally only available where the applicant for legal aid can show that they are a victim of domestic abuse, or where they can show that the aim of the proceedings is to protect a child at risk of abuse from a third party (such applications are in scope because of Paras 12 and 13 of Part 1 Schedule 1 of LASPO; see also Chapter 6 of the Handbook). Until the successful challenge to the original regulations by Rights of Women, there was a requirement that the evidence in support of the application had to be no more than 2 years old. Following the litigation, that was extended to 5 years.’

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Legal Aid Handbook, 7th January 2018

Source: legalaidhandbook.com

Give paralegals rights of audience “so they can do more legal aid work” – Legal Futures

Posted January 4th, 2018 in legal aid, legal representation, news, paralegals, rights of audience by sally

‘Paralegals should be given rights of audience to enable them to do more legal aid work, an academic has argued.’

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Legal Futures, 4th January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Put constitutional right of access to justice at heart of LASPO review, MPs say – Legal Futures

‘The government review of its legal aid reforms should reflect this summer’s Supreme Court ruling on access to justice as a constitutional right, the justice select committee said.’

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Legal Futures, 21st December 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Rise of LiPs “key challenge for family lawyers and courts system” – Legal Futures

‘The rise in the number of litigants-in-person in the family courts since the 2013 legal aid reforms has topped a poll of the causes of discontent among family law practitioners for the fifth year running.’

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Legal Futures, 15th December 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Evidence of children and vulnerable witnesses: Part 1 – Family Law

‘This article (the first of two) considers the evidence of any witness in family proceedings where that evidence diverges from the general procedural rules (as explained below) for evidence in family proceedings.’

Full Story

Family Law, 8th December 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Justice minister pours cold water on growing calls to fund early legal advice – Legal Futures

Posted December 6th, 2017 in budgets, legal aid, legal services, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘The government yesterday damped down hopes that it would consider funding greater access to early legal advice.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 6th December 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Hillsborough police officer granted funds to fight potential manslaughter charges – The Guardian

Posted December 5th, 2017 in homicide, legal aid, negligence, news, police, stay of proceedings by tracey

‘The former senior police officer who was the match commander at the Hillsborough disaster is to get funding to fight a possible prosecution on charges of gross negligence manslaughter.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 4th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Domestic violence victims will have legal aid limitations eased, say Ministry of Justice – The Independent

Posted December 5th, 2017 in domestic violence, evidence, legal aid, limitations, news, time limits, victims by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice announced changes to give more support to those taking abusive former partners to court in family proceedings.’

MOJ press release

Full Story

The Independent, 4th December 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Law Society to challenge government over fee cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 29th, 2017 in criminal justice, fees, Law Society, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Law Society is taking High Court action against the government’s latest criminal legal aid reforms over concerns that the ‘fragile’ sector will not be able to withstand further cuts.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 28th November 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Asylum seekers face appeals ‘lottery’ – BBC News

Posted November 29th, 2017 in appeals, asylum, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

‘Asylum seekers are facing a “lottery” depending on where their appeal is heard, research by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme has found.’

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BBC News, 29th November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Strike-off for legal aid fraud solicitor who also let untraceable junior staff member into firm – Legal Futures

Posted November 28th, 2017 in conspiracy, disciplinary procedures, fraud, legal aid, news, solicitors, striking out by sally

‘The head of a Bradford law firm has been struck off after being convicted of conspiracy to defraud the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) and also failing to supervise an unpaid junior member of staff who is suspected of producing fraudulent decree absolutes – and whose surname nobody at the firm can remember.’

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Legal Futures, 28th November 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal Aid Cuts: A Future of Mandatory Pro Bono Work? – RightsInfo

Posted November 23rd, 2017 in human rights, legal aid, news, pro bono work by sally

‘Cuts to legal aid have had a huge impact on access to justice, as confirmed by various reports over the last few years.’

Full Story

RightsInfo, 23rd November 2017

Source: rightsinfo.org

MoJ reveals massive budget cut as new advice deserts open – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 20th, 2017 in budgets, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The deeply worrying scale of the budgetary pressures bearing down on the Ministry of Justice is laid bare in new figures which will dampen already faint hopes of public funding reform. In a written parliamentary answer, justice minister Dominic Raab revealed that the MoJ will have suffered a cumulative 40% real terms cut in its budget over the fiscal decade ending in 2020.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 20th November 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bach to the future – Counsel

Posted November 17th, 2017 in budgets, legal aid, news, reports by tracey

‘Time for legal aid to break free from party political discourse? Yes, argues Lucie Wibberley, in light of the recommendations of the Bach Commission for a new Right to Justice Act.’

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Counsel, November 2017

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Families of 1974 bombings victims turn to crowdfunding after legal aid denied – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 16th, 2017 in costs, families, inquests, legal aid, legal representation, news by tracey

‘A campaign group is seeking funds to pay for a judicial review challenging the terms of reference of an inquest into the deaths of the Birmingham Pub Bombings victims after a request for legal aid was denied. Justice4the21 is asking legal professionals to donate what they can to fund a challenge to a coroner’s decision earlier this year to exclude the issue of who was responsible for the 1974 bombings.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 15th November 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Ministry of Justice abandons court battle on prisoners’ legal aid – The Guardian

Posted November 8th, 2017 in appeals, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons by tracey

‘Legal aid for prisoners will be restored for three key categories of claims after the Ministry of Justice abruptly abandoned what was expected to become a supreme court battle.’

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The Guardian, 7th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012: Post-Legislative Memorandum – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 2nd, 2017 in legal aid, legislation, press releases, reports, sentencing by tracey

‘This document serves as the post-legislative memorandum for Parts 1, 2 and 3 of LASPO. It is being published with regard to the post-legislative scrutiny process. The memorandum was presented to the Justice Select Committee on 30 October 2017.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 30th October 2017

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

High Court dismisses seven-year legal aid contract fight – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 2nd, 2017 in delay, law firms, legal aid, news by tracey

‘The High Court has dismissed a law firm’s challenge to a government legal aid contract decision – seven years after judicial review proceedings began. Mr Justice Coulson hoped the “sorry saga’ would be regarded as an example of how not to conduct a public procurement challenge.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 1st November 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Official review backs ‘Hillsborough law’ proposals – The Guardian

Posted November 2nd, 2017 in bereavement, families, inquests, legal aid, legal representation, news, reports by tracey

‘An official review of the Hillsborough families’ 27-year ordeal since the 1989 disaster has recommended that bereaved families must have funding for full legal representation at inquests where public authorities are represented.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 1st November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com