Category: legal aid

Charity attacks plan to cut legal aid for victims of NHS neglect – The Independent

Posted September 22nd, 2011 in legal aid, medical treatment, negligence, news by tracey

“A plan to cut legal aid for patients left physically or mentally damaged by NHS care is being legally challenged by a medical safety charity. Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) has issued judicial review proceedings against the Government on the basis that the cuts are ‘irrational and unfair’. Seriously injured patients, such as babies who suffer brain damage as a result of substandard obstetrics care, will be denied the compensation that their families need to provide proper care for them, according to AvMA.”

Full story

The Independent, 22nd September 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Experts in family cases – judicial guidance (revised) – Legal Aid Handbook Blog

Posted September 21st, 2011 in expert witnesses, families, judiciary, legal aid, news by michael

“Following our post last week HHJ Altman has revised his guidance to take account of the need to apply for prior authority as a pre-condition of exceeding the prescribed maximum rates for experts.”

Full story

Legal Aid Handbook Blog, 20th September 2011

Revised guidance (pdf)

Source: www: http://legalaidhandbook.com

Community Legal Service (Funding) (Amendment No. 2) Order 2011 and Criminal Defence Service (Funding) (Amendment) Order 2011 – The Bar Council

Posted September 20th, 2011 in legal aid, legal services, legislation, press releases by tracey

“The Community Legal Service (Funding) (Amendment No. 2) Order 2011 and the Criminal Defence Service (Funding) (Amendment) Order 2011 were laid on 24 August 2011.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 19th September 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Measures to stop litigation culture will have opposite effect, warn experts – The Observer

Posted September 19th, 2011 in costs, legal aid, news, personal injuries by tracey

“Government plans to end Britain’s burgeoning litigation culture will achieve the opposite result, according to legal experts who warn that the measures will trigger an increase in the number of individuals pursuing ‘spurious’ personal injury claims.”

Full story

The Observer, 18th September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/news/uknews

Children hit hardest by legal aid reform, says study – The Independent

Posted September 19th, 2011 in budgets, children, legal aid, news by tracey

“More than 200,000 children and young adults will be hit by heavy cuts to the legal aid budget, according to research. The Government plans to reduce spending on legal aid by £350m by removing it from most cases of family breakdown, medical negligence, immigration, debt and welfare benefit. Research by campaign group Sound Off for Justice suggests that 6,000 under-18-year-olds and 69,000 adults aged 18 to 24 will lose access to legal aid.”

Full story

The Independent, 19th September 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bid to exempt Trafigura-type claims from reform fails – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 15th, 2011 in bills, civil justice, fees, human rights, legal aid, news by tracey

“Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs have rejected an amendment to legislation that would exempt claims brought by foreigners against UK multinationals from civil litigation reforms. The Public Bill Committee debated the amendment to the Legal Aid, Punishment of Offenders and Sentencing Bill, tabled by Labour MP Kate Green, yesterday.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th September 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Lord Justice Jackson: legal aid should remain for clinical negligence – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 14th, 2011 in bills, budgets, legal aid, medical treatment, negligence, news by tracey

“Lord Justice Jackson spoke in strong terms last week to the Cambridge Law Faculty on the controversial topic of legal aid and legal costs reforms.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 13th September 2011

Source: www.http://ukhumanrightsblog.com

Ken Clarke criticised over restricting ‘no win, no fee’ agreements – The Guardian

Posted September 12th, 2011 in charities, fees, legal aid, news by tracey

“A coalition of high-profile, international charities has condemned the government’s legal reforms for denying overseas victims of UK multinationals any chance of justice. In a letter to the Guardian, Amnesty International, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam and others warn that if the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, succeeds in restricting ‘no win, no fee’ agreements then Trafigura-style cases could never be brought again.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Compensation claimants say changes to court costs law will add insult to injury – The Guardian

Posted September 9th, 2011 in bills, costs, legal aid, news by tracey

“Victims and their families voice alarm over the ‘ill-considered’ legal aid bill now before parliament.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Labour’s legal aid bill amendments fail – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 8th, 2011 in bills, legal aid, news by sally

“Opposition amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill have been rejected by a committee of MPs.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 8th September 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Lord Justice Jackson calls for Govt rethink on legal aid cuts – Legal Week

Posted September 8th, 2011 in bills, costs, Law Society, legal aid, news by sally

“Lord Justice Jackson – the author of the current shake-up of civil litigation costs – has criticised controversial Government cuts to legal aid, warning the reforms are ‘contrary to [my] recommendations’.”

Full story

Legal Week, 7th September 2011

Source: www.legalweek.com

Legal Aid Bill amendments – LAG News Blog

Posted September 6th, 2011 in bills, legal aid, news, select committees by sally

“The committee scrutinising the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill resumes its work today (Tuesday 6 September). A number of amendments have been put forward for consideration by members of the committee which includes the justice minister Jonathan Djanogly MP and his Labour opposition counterpart, Andrew Slaughter MP.”

Full story

LAG News Blog, 6th September 2011

Source: www.legalactiongroupnews.blogspot.com

Legal Aid and the Costs Review Reforms – Speech by Lord Justice Jackson

Posted September 6th, 2011 in bills, costs, fees, legal aid, personal injuries, speeches by sally

Legal Aid and the Costs Review Reforms

Speech by Lord Justice Jackson

Judiciary of England and Wales, 5th September 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Expert witnesses elusive as pay falls – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 1st, 2011 in expert witnesses, legal aid, news, remuneration by sally

“Reduced legal aid fees for expert witnesses are making it ‘almost impossible’ to find experts and in some cases leaving law firms out of pocket by thousands of pounds, a leading family lawyer has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st September 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law centres are more necessary than ever in ‘austerity Britain’ – The Guardian

Posted September 1st, 2011 in law centres, legal aid, legal history, news by sally

“The 40-year-old movement to provide legal services to the vulnerable looks likely to bear the brunt of legal aid cuts.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Patients’ legal aid cuts will cost NHS tens of millions – The Independent

Posted August 30th, 2011 in fees, legal aid, medical treatment, negligence, news by sally

“The Government’s plans to slash the soaring legal aid bill threaten to cost the NHS millions and exclude many victims of medical negligence from justice, the National Health Service’s own lawyers have warned.”

Full story

The Independent, 28th August 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Barristers seek to extend public access rights – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 24th, 2011 in barristers, legal aid, news by sally

“Public access barristers could be allowed to accept direct instructions from clients eligible for legal aid, under proposals being considered by the Bar Standards Board.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd August 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

What price access to justice? – Garden Court Chambers Blog

Posted August 23rd, 2011 in civil justice, legal aid, news by sally

“Access to justice is under grave attack by the Coalition Government. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2011 (the ‘Legal Aid Bill’) is currently before Parliament and if it is enacted then it will result in severe and swingeing cuts to public funding for advice and representation in a wide spectrum of civil cases.”

Full story

Garden Court Chambers Blog, 18th August 2011

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

Legal aid: plan for 10% cut raises fears of more law centre closures – The Guardian

Posted August 23rd, 2011 in charities, law centres, legal aid, news by sally

“A fresh wave of law centre closures and redundancies is feared as the government introduces plans this week for an additional 10% cut in legal aid fees.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd August 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council Responds to MoJ Funding Order Consultation – The Bar Council

Posted August 10th, 2011 in barristers, consultations, legal aid, news by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today responded to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on amendments to the funding of civil and criminal defence work.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 9th August 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk