Category: legal aid

Update from the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Bar Council – The Bar Council

Posted March 31st, 2011 in barristers, consultations, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, press releases by sally

“None of us, at the self-employed or employed Bar, has escaped the consequences of the coalition Government’s measures to reduce the national deficit. But the publicly funded Bar is bearing the brunt of cuts in public expenditure. This follows the cuts in legal aid announced by the last Government and the proposals for radical change in the publicly funded legal services market, the subject of recent consultation by the Ministry of Justice. We wanted to give you a short update on developments which affect so many practitioners and indeed the future of the Bar as a whole.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 29th March 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

MPs warn against legal aid reforms in divorce cases – The Guardian

Posted March 30th, 2011 in divorce, domestic violence, legal aid, news by sally

“Making eligibility for legal aid in divorce and custody cases dependent on accusations of domestic violence will create a ‘perverse incentive’ that encourages false allegations, according to a group of MPs.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid change may hit the vulnerable hardest say MPs – BBC News

Posted March 30th, 2011 in legal aid, news by sally

“MPs say vulnerable groups may be disproportionately affected by a shake-up of civil legal aid in England and Wales and want it to be ‘refined’.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th March 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid cuts: misleading statistics from the MoJ – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2011 in budgets, legal aid, news, statistics by sally

“LAG believes that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been guilty of playing rather fast and loose in its interpretation of the figures on the impact of the proposed civil legal aid cuts.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Pressure prompts review of ‘domestic violence’ legal aid definition – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 21st, 2011 in domestic violence, legal aid, news by sally

“The government has delayed its plans to respond to the legal aid and civil costs consultations until after Easter, and will ‘review’ the definition of domestic violence, the legal aid minister said last week.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 21st March 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Family lawyers face up to challenges ahead – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 17th, 2011 in arbitration, consultations, divorce, families, fees, law reports, legal aid, legal profession by sally

“Family law is facing an unprecedented year of change, with practitioners under intense pressure to be innovative if they want to maintain the viability of their practices. Some family law departments are already downsizing, or are being closed, as experienced practitioners move firms or set up their own niche practices. However, others are embracing change and are among their firms’ top teams in terms of fee income and profitability.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th March 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Civil legal aid cuts will increase tribunal workload – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 10th, 2011 in legal aid, news, reports, tribunals by sally

“Cuts to civil legal aid will leave people unable to pursue their rights and increase the workload of the tribunal system, the senior president of tribunals has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th March 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal Profession Lawcast (2): Neil Rose on ABS – Jackson – Funding – Regulation and the state of the profession today – Charon QC

Posted March 7th, 2011 in legal aid, legal profession, legal services, podcasts by sally

“Today I am talking to Neil Rose of Legal Futures about the changing legal landscape in 2011. Legal Futures is the brainchild of Neil Rose, who has been writing about the Legal Services Act since its genesis in the OFT report of 2001. Neil is a highly experienced legal journalist, having spent 12 years working on the Law Society’s Gazette, latterly as Deputy Editor and including a lengthy spell as Acting Editor in 2007. A qualified solicitor, he went freelance in January 2008.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 7th March 2011

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

Injured by the NHS? Prepare for further pain – The Guardian

Posted March 3rd, 2011 in costs, fees, legal aid, medical treatment, negligence, news by sally

“Justice ministry hopes to remove clinical negligence from legal aid and make claimants pay fees and premiums out of damages.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

War of the words: how the government controls the debate with its lexicon – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 3rd, 2011 in consultations, legal aid, news, reports by sally

“Ministers in the coalition government don’t talk about ‘fat cat lawyers’.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd March 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Could you defend yourself in court? – BBC News

Posted March 1st, 2011 in judiciary, legal aid, litigants in person, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“Legal aid changes in England and Wales could mean hundreds of thousands more people representing themselves in court, judges have warned. So how exactly do you become an amateur lawyer?”

Full story

BBC News, 28th February 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judges slam legal aid cuts and lawyers who bring ‘unmeritorious’ claims – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 28th, 2011 in consultations, judicial review, judiciary, legal aid, news by sally

“Judges have slammed government plans to cut legal aid, but also criticised publicly funded lawyers who bring ‘unmeritorious’ public law claims, and proposed limiting legal aid in judicial review cases.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 28th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Most senior judge attacks legal aid plans – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 25th, 2011 in budgets, legal aid, news by sally

“Cuts to legal aid will have ‘serious implications for the quality of justice’, the country’s most senior judge warned yesterday in a scathing attack on Kenneth Clarke’s plans.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th February 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Related link: Q&A: Legal Aid

Legal aid cuts will cost more in long run, say judges – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2011 in family courts, judiciary, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“Courts could grind to a standstill as hundreds of thousands of people represent themselves in legal cases, senior judges have warned.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted February 24th, 2011 in consultations, judiciary, legal aid, news by sally

“The judiciary’s co-ordinated response to the Government’s legal aid consultation paper is published today. It was drawn up by a sub-committee of the Judges’ Council (the body which represents all levels of the judiciary, and is chaired by the Lord Chief Justice).”

Full story

Judiciary of England and Wales, 24th February 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

The National Pro Bono Centre Question Time Debate – The Bar Council

Posted February 21st, 2011 in barristers, legal aid, news, pro bono work by sally

“Following on from the 2010 LawWorks event “Legal Aid after the Election”, the National Pro Bono Centre is delighted to give notice of the second Legal Aid Question Time. Panel members will include key representatives from the main political parties and from the representative professional bodies. The audience will include lawyers from all practice areas, members of the advice sector and other key legal aid stakeholders.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 21st February 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Legal Aid Cuts Will Cost More Than They Save: Barristers’ Body Warns That Increase in ‘DIY Justice’ Will Gridlock Courts – The Bar Council

Posted February 15th, 2011 in barristers, costs, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“A forensic examination of the Government’s Green Paper on legal aid, carried out by the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has found that proposals by the Ministry of Justice to cut legal aid could end up costing rather than saving taxpayers’ money, with a devastating effect on access to justice.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 14th February 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

We defend the public interest in our response to MOJ proposals for Legal Aid Reform – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 15th, 2011 in legal aid, news, public interest by sally

“Our response to the MOJ’s proposals for Legal Aid Reform states that the cuts to Legal Aid will have no discernible positive regulatory impact and do little to protect and promote the public interest.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 14th February 2011

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Bar Council cautions against ‘DIY litigants’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 14th, 2011 in legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“The government’s ‘crude and brutal’ legal aid cuts will trigger a surge in ‘DIY litigants’ that risks ‘gridlock’ in the courts, the Bar Council has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Butler-Sloss issues warning over legal aid cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 14th, 2011 in budgets, legal aid, news by sally

“The government’s planned legal aid cuts will have a ‘serious adverse long-term effect’ on the justice system, a former president of the family division of the High Court has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk