“A step in the right direction” – legal leaders seek positives from Budget – Legal Futures

‘Legal leaders hailed funding for the justice system announced in yesterday’s Budget as “a step in the right direction”, even though it will not even return the Crown Court backlog to pre-Covid levels.’

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Legal Futures, 28th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Guarding Special Guardianship: the need for legal aid reform – Family Law week

Posted October 25th, 2021 in children, families, family courts, guardianship, legal aid, news by tracey

‘Jessica Johnston, Legal Adviser with Family Rights Group, explains a major challenge to prospective special guardians and how it might be overcome.’

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Family Law Week, 21st October 2021

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Law Society report hits out at “vanishing” civil legal aid – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 5th, 2021 in budgets, civil justice, legal advice, legal aid, news by sally

‘People living in areas without a major city are particularly badly hit by “vanishing” availability of civil legal aid across housing, welfare, education, community care and immigration, the Law Society has claimed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th October 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The Queen (o.a.o Rayner) v Leeds Magistrates Court: closure orders, legal aid reviews and adjournments – Nearly Legal

‘In this recent judicial review (2021) EWHC 1964 (Admin) H.H. Judge Gosnell addressed interesting questions around closure orders, adjournments, Article 6(1) rights, and the refusal of the Magistrates Court to state a case. He declined to grant relief because the issue had become academic, but if that had not been the case he would have found for the Claimant. Leeds City Council, the Claimant’s landlord, were an Interested Party in the JR, took a neutral position and were not represented. Leeds District Magistrates Court, the Defendant, did the same, the usual approach where a court is challenged.’

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Nearly Legal, 8th August 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

High Court criticises Magistrates Court for failure to state a case in closure order dispute – Local Government Lawyer

‘Leeds District Magistrates Court erred by deeming an application frivolous and refusing to state a case for the opinion of the High Court, a judge has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd July 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Modern slavery survivors at higher risk of being re-trafficked due to barriers accessing legal advice, finds report – The Independent

‘Modern slavery survivors in England face “significant barriers” to accessing legal advice, leaving them at higher risk of being re-trafficked, according to new research.’

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The Independent, 19th May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Buckland urged to retain choice for court-assessed legal aid bills – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 14th, 2021 in consultations, costs, Law Society, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice has been urged not to bring court-assessed civil legal aid bills in-house amid impartiality and transparency concerns as well as the impact on an already-dwindling supplier base.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 13th May 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

I’ve seen how the UK justice system is crumbling. Why doesn’t the government take action? – Dominic Grieve – The Guardian

Posted April 6th, 2021 in budgets, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, legal aid, news, prisons by sally

‘From decrepit court buildings to legal aid cuts, the service has been brought to its knees. And there’s little hope of change.’

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The Guardian, 5th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Managing costs in complex children cases – Family Law

Posted March 31st, 2021 in child arrangements orders, costs, family courts, legal aid, news by tracey

‘In November 2020 Spice Girl Mel B was in the news, despairing about how the legal costs of trying to relocate her daughter Madison from the US to England were likely to bankrupt her, leading to her withdrawing her relocation application. The figure of $500,000 quoted included legal fees of $400,000 and $100,000 in accounting fees.’

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Family Law, 30th March 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Crown court backlog has reached ‘crisis levels’, report warns – The Guardian

‘The backlog of crown court cases in England and Wales has reached “crisis levels”, with the increased remand population likely to disproportionately impact children and young people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, a parliamentary committee has warned.’

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The Guardian, 30th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Impact on lawyers of traumatic cases “worsened by pandemic” – Legal Futures

Posted March 15th, 2021 in barristers, coronavirus, legal aid, legal profession, mental health, news, solicitors by tracey

‘Covid-19, coupled with the savage cuts in legal aid, have greatly added to the vicarious trauma suffered by social justice lawyers and other law workers from being immersed in clients’ day-to-day problems, the authors of a new book have argued.’

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Legal futures, 15th March 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lack of access to lawyers for immigration detainees being held in prison is unlawful, High Court rules – The Independent

Posted February 26th, 2021 in detention, human rights, immigration, legal aid, legal representation, news, prisons by tracey

‘The legal aid provision for immigration detainees held in prisons is unlawful, the High Court has ruled, after it emerged a man was unable to access a lawyer for 10 months and had to represent himself.’

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The Independent, 25th February 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal aid win means domestic abuse victims will no longer be asked to sell their homes to access justice – The Independent

Posted January 29th, 2021 in domestic violence, legal aid, legal representation, mortgages, news, women by tracey

‘Domestic abuse victims blocked from getting legal aid will no longer be pushed into selling their homes in a bid to obtain justice and secure safety from their violent partners.’

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The Independent, 28th January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Running on Empty: New report finds serious problems with legal help for the public – The Bar Council

Posted January 25th, 2021 in barristers, bereavement, civil justice, families, inquests, legal aid, news by tracey

‘A newly published report “Running on Empty” from the Bar Council, which represents all barristers in England and Wales, reveals the severity of problems in the civil legal aid system.’

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The Bar Council, 15th January 2021

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Domestic abuse victims wrongly charged over £150 from GPs for letters confirming injuries – The Independent

Posted January 8th, 2021 in doctors, domestic violence, expert witnesses, fees, legal aid, news, victims by tracey

‘Domestic abuse victims are being wrongly charged over £150 by GPs for letters proving their injuries which are often required to access legal aid or other crucial services.’

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The Independent, 7th January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Research lays bare gender disparities in publicly funded advocacy – Legal Futures

Posted January 5th, 2021 in barristers, equality, legal aid, news, queen's counsel, remuneration, reports, women by sally

‘There are “significant gender disparities” in barristers’ access to work and pay across both criminal and civil publicly funded work, research by a circuit judge has found.’

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Legal Futures, 5th January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Home Office leaving stateless people facing detention and destitution, warns UN – The Independent

‘The Home Office is leaving stateless people in the UK at risk of homelessness, destitution and prolonged detention, the UN’s refugee agency has warned. A procedure designed to help regularise the status of stateless individuals in Britain is not functioning as well as it should due to procedural weaknesses and the approach to decision-making, the UNHCR said.’

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The Independent, 16th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Financial Remedy Update, December 2020 – Family Law Week

‘Sue Brookes Principal Associate, Family Lawyer, Collaborative Lawyer and Mediator for Mills & Reeve LLP considers the important news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during November 2020.’

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Family Law Week, 10th December 2020

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Mother refused legal aid over ‘trapped capital’ has case remitted – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 26th, 2020 in domestic violence, legal aid, legal representation, news by tracey

‘A mother who was denied legal aid on the grounds of a house she owns with her ex-partner has won her High Court challenge, in a ruling that provides “important clarification for victims of domestic abuse”.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 25th November 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Domestic abuse victims with ‘trapped capital’ should not be denied legal aid, court rules – The Guardian

‘Victims of domestic abuse should not be denied legal aid because they have assets trapped in a home, the high court has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com