Funding crisis over legal aid threatens UK asylum chaos, ministers are warned – The Guardian

Posted June 1st, 2010 in asylum, children, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“The government has been warned of impending chaos in the asylum system if a body representing the rights of people fleeing persecution and violence is forced to close due to changes in the way legal aid is paid.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th May 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Chancery Lane welcomes coalition government proposals – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 20th, 2010 in bills, legal aid, legal profession, news, privacy by sally

“The Law Society welcomed the new coalition government’s pledge to seek a better balance between state surveillance and privacy this week, while legal aid lawyers said they hoped Kenneth Clarke’s appointment as justice secretary will spell good news for access to justice.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 20th May 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Death by a thousand cuts for legal aid – The Guardian

Posted May 18th, 2010 in legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“As justice secretary Ken Clarke sharpens his axe, the future looks bleak for a founding pillar of the welfare state.”

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The Guardian, 18th May 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Relatives of 7/7 bombers refused legal aid for inquests – The Guardian

Posted April 23rd, 2010 in inquests, legal aid, news, terrorism by sally

“Relatives of the 7 July suicide bombers applied for legal aid for representation at their inquests, officials said today. Ministers rejected the two applications after ruling that they did not meet the criteria for public funding.”

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The Guardian, 22nd April 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gordon Brown and David Cameron’s ignorance about legal aid does not surprise experts – The Guardian

Posted April 14th, 2010 in expenses, legal aid, news, political parties by sally

“Gordon Brown and David Cameron’s apparent lack of understanding about how legal aid works has not surprised experts, who say they have long been battling ignorance about the importance of the service.”

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The Guardian, 13th April 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Big Question: What is legal aid and should we be providing so much of it? – The Independent

Posted April 14th, 2010 in legal aid, news by sally

“Why are we asking this now?

On Monday, it was announced that three former Labour MPs – David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Elliot Morley – had won the right to receive legal aid to fight charges of false accounting relating to their parliamentary expenses. The news thrust MPs’ expenses back into the spotlight and did no favours to the legal aid system, so often the butt of politicians’ ire.”

Full story

The Independent, 14th April 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Accused MPs ‘will have to pay back legal aid’ – The Independent

Posted April 13th, 2010 in expenses, legal aid, news by sally

“Labour MPs awarded legal aid to fund their court battle against charges that they fiddled parliamentary expenses will have to pay the money back, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said today.”

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The Independent, 12th April 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Expenses MPs Devine, Chaytor and Morley get legal aid – BBC News

Posted April 12th, 2010 in expenses, legal aid, news by sally

“Three former Labour MPs facing criminal charges over their expenses have won the right to have their legal fees paid for by the taxpayer.”

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BBC News, 12th April 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Next Step in the Bar Council’s Judicial Review on Legal Aid – The Bar Council

Posted April 12th, 2010 in barristers, fees, judicial review, legal aid, news by sally

“The Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association have today issued a joint response to the Ministry of Justice Consultation ‘Legal Aid: Reforming Advocates Graduated Fees’.”

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The Bar Council, 9th April 2010

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Bar Council and CBA express outrage over legal aid cuts – The Bar Council

Posted April 12th, 2010 in barristers, fees, legal aid, news by sally

“The Chairman of the Bar Council and the Chairman of the CBA have written an open letter to the profession in response to the MoJ’s announcement of cuts to criminal legal aid fees.”

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The Bar Council, 9th April 2010

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Legal aid cuts will happen ‘under any government’, parties warn – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 9th, 2010 in legal aid, news, political parties by sally

“The legal aid budget will face further cuts whoever wins the election, politicians from the three main parties warned last week.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 9th April 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Next Step in the Bar Council’s Judicial Review on Legal Aid – The Bar Council

Posted April 8th, 2010 in barristers, fees, judicial review, legal aid, press releases by sally

“The Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association have today issued a joint response to the Ministry of Justice Consultation ‘Legal Aid: Reforming Advocates Graduated Fees.’ The response is available below, as is the letter from Bindmans sent on our behalf to the Treasury Solicitors.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 1st April 2010

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Reforming advocates’ graduated fees and very high cost cases – Ministry of Justice

Posted April 7th, 2010 in fees, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“The Ministry of Justice and Legal Services Commission have today outlined new steps that aim to rebalance the legal aid budget, reduce costs and increase value for money for legal aid.”

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Ministry of Justice, 6th April 2010

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Bar offers legal aid ‘olive branch’ on criminal fee proposals – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 1st, 2010 in barristers, fees, judicial review, legal aid, news by sally

“The Bar Council has offered the government an ‘olive branch’ to avoid judicial review proceedings if it withdraws the current criminal fee proposals and negotiates a way forward.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 1st April 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Next Step in the Bar Council’s Judicial Review on Legal Aid – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 29th, 2010 in barristers, consultations, fees, legal aid, news by sally

“The Ministry of Justice has extended the deadline for responses to be submitted to their consultation ‘Legal aid: reforming advocates graduated fees’ until midday on 1 April. Those who have already responded can submit revised responses, and those who have not yet responded can do so.”

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Ministry of Justice, 29th March 2010

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Chancery Lane calls for ‘radical rethink’ of legal aid funding – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 24th, 2010 in Law Society, legal aid, news, reports by sally

“A loan fund akin to the student loans scheme and a ‘polluter pays’ funding mechanism are among ideas advanced today for legal aid funding by the Law Society.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 24th March 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Straw announces legal aid reforms – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 23rd, 2010 in criminal procedure, fees, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, tenders by sally

“The Ministry of Justice has announced new proposals for the tendering of criminal legal aid services with the aim of delivering significant savings to taxpayers and a more sustainable future for the legal aid budget.”

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Ministry of Justice, 22nd March 2010

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Jeremy Rosenblatt: top-earning barrister guilty of inflating legal aid fee – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 16th, 2010 in barristers, fees, legal aid, news, professional conduct by sally

“One of the country’s highest paid civil barristers, Jeremy Rosenblatt, has been banned from taking on new clients for three months after he was found guilty of trying to inflate his publicly-funded legal fees.”

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Daily Telegraph, 16th March 2010

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Jack Straw announces legal aid funding for survivors of 7/7 attack – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 10th, 2010 in inquests, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, terrorism by sally

“The Ministry of Justice has today announced that legal aid funding will be provided to survivors of the 7/7 bombings.”

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Ministry of Justice, 10th March 2010

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Bar Council Welcomes Government’s Decision to Create New Executive Agency to Administer Legal Aid – The Bar Council

Posted March 5th, 2010 in legal aid, Ministry of Justice, press releases by sally

“The Bar Council has welcomed the Ministry of Justice’s decision announced today to create a new executive agency to replace the Legal Services Commission (LSC) to administer legal aid.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 3rd March 2010

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk