Category: legal aid

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

Posted December 16th, 2020 in appeals, asylum, citizenship, deportation, detention, government departments, immigration, legal aid, news, refugees by sally

‘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

Posted December 14th, 2020 in appeals, birth certificates, coronavirus, divorce, domestic violence, equality, families, family courts, legal aid, legal profession, legal representation, mental health, news, statistics, Supreme Court, transgender persons by sally

‘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 sally

‘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

Posted November 25th, 2020 in budgets, criminal justice, domestic violence, families, homicide, legal aid, legal representation, news, statistics, victims, women by sally

‘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

Legal Services Act a decade on: Much to celebrate but much to do – Legal Futures

Posted November 25th, 2020 in criminal justice, diversity, legal aid, legal services, Legal Services Board, news by sally

‘There is “much to celebrate” from the first decade of the Legal Services Act but the basic legal needs of many citizens are still not being met, the Legal Services Board (LSB) said today.’

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Legal Futures, 25th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal aid lawyers under severe pressure because of Covid – Legal Futures

Posted November 18th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, fees, legal aid, legal profession, mental health, news, remuneration, solicitors, statistics by sally

‘Four-fifths of legal aid lawyers have experienced stress as a result of the pandemic, with more than half of them blaming longer working hours, according to a survey.’

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Legal Futures, 18th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

All you need to know about domestic abuse and ILR – EIN Blog

Posted November 9th, 2020 in coercive & controlling behaviour, domestic violence, families, immigration, legal aid, legal representation, news, passports, victims by sally

‘Anyone in an abusive relationship is in a dangerous and terrifying situation. But if you are in the UK on a Spouse Visa, Civil Partnership Visa, or Unmarried Partner Visa, the situation is especially frightening. But you are not alone. And you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which will allow you to stay permanently in the UK if your relationship breaks down because of domestic violence/abuse.’

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EIN Blog, 9th November 2020

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Law Society sets out priority areas for reform that would see less need for judicial review challenges – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 27th, 2020 in appeals, disclosure, immigration, judicial review, Law Society, legal aid, news, pre-action conduct by sally

‘The Law Society has called for four reforms which it says would reduce the need for citizens to resort to judicial review, in its submission to the Independent Review of Administrative Law (IRAL).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th October 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Law Society takes legal action against the Legal Aid Agency – Family Law

Posted September 11th, 2020 in consultations, costs, judicial review, Law Society, legal aid, news by sally

‘The Law Society has lodged a judicial review against the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) after claiming that they failed to consult properly around a decision to move legal aid cost assessments in-house.’

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Family Law, 8th September 2020

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Triple threat to justice system in England and Wales, lawyers warn – The Guardian

Posted September 1st, 2020 in coronavirus, courts, criminal justice, delay, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

‘The criminal justice system in England and Wales is facing the triple threat of a shortage of defence lawyers, financial shock as furlough assistance from the government ends and the mass postponement of trials due to the coronavirus pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 31st August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lord Chancellor accepts unlawfulness of new Legal Aid scheme for immigration and asylum appeals – Garden Court Chambers

Posted August 14th, 2020 in appeals, asylum, case management, chambers articles, consultations, coronavirus, fees, immigration, internet, legal aid, lord chancellor, news by sally

‘On 8 June 2020 the Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 (the Amendment Regulations) came into force. The Amendment Regulations established a new fee regime for the remuneration of legal aid providers for appellants whose asylum and immigration appeals are being dealt with under a new Online Procedure which had previously been in pilot phase, but was rolled out widely by the First-tier Tribunal (FtT) in mid-March 2020.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 12th August 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

What price solidarity among legal aid lawyers? – Legal Futures

Posted August 13th, 2020 in barristers, fees, judicial review, legal aid, news, remuneration, solicitors, working time by sally

‘Solidarity – or not – between legal aid lawyers is under the spotlight this week, with solicitors from 200 law firms coming together to force a change to immigration fees, but criminal firms falling out over Saturday work.’

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Legal Futures, 13th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Partner fired for ‘topping up’ fees overturns tribunal ruling – Legal Futures

Posted August 7th, 2020 in appeals, codes of practice, disciplinary procedures, employment, employment tribunals, fees, gifts, law firms, Law Society, legal aid, news, professional conduct, solicitors, unfair dismissal by sally

‘The Employment Appeal Tribunal has overturned a ruling that a law firm was entitled to fire a partner who was accused of “topping up” legal aid fees with cash from a client’s father.’

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Legal Futures, 7th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court rejects JR over LASPO post-implementation review – Litigation Futures

Posted August 3rd, 2020 in asbestos, compensation, judicial review, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, victims by sally

‘The High Court has rejected a judicial review that argued the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) failed to carry out an adequate review of the impact of the LASPO reforms on those with asbestos-related diseases.’

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Litigation Futures, 3rd August 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

MPs fear firms, chambers and law centres collapsing – Legal Futures

Posted August 3rd, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, law firms, legal aid, legal profession, legal services, Ministry of Justice, news, select committees, solicitors by sally

‘MPs have expressed concern that law firms, chambers and law centres may collapse because of the impact of Covid-19.’

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The Guardian, 3rd August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The Legal Aid Funding Gap Could ‘Push Millions Into Poverty’. What Can We Do? – Each Other

Posted July 28th, 2020 in bereavement, carers, disabled persons, human rights, law centres, legal aid, news by sally

‘“There is no way on heaven and earth that I would have been able to [fight my case] in the state I was, I would have just fallen through,” says Michael, whose wife Pauline tragically passed away from a progressive degenerative condition in July 2017.’

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Each Other, 27th July 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

‘We are the A&E of law’: the first UK law centre for poor people turns 50 – The Guardian

Posted July 28th, 2020 in law centres, legal aid, news by sally

‘Austerity cuts to legal aid may have restricted North Kensington’s resources, but they haven’t crushed its spirit.’

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The Guardian, 28th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Our goodwill has run dry” – hundreds to refuse out-of-hours hearings – Legal Futures

Posted July 24th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, courts, criminal justice, delay, HM Courts Service, legal aid, legal profession, Ministry of Justice, news, solicitors, standards, statistics, trials by sally

‘Hundreds of crime lawyers have issued public refusals to attend hearings in evenings or at weekends as new figures show that backlogs in courts and tribunals were growing even before the coronavirus.’

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Legal Futures, 24th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal aid minister under fire from practitioners – Legal Futures

Posted July 21st, 2020 in coronavirus, criminal justice, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

‘Criminal lawyers took their fight for government support direct to the legal aid minister yesterday, haranguing him mercilessly during an online meeting and complaining that barristers were operating on “petrol fumes” due to the absence of jury trials.’

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Legal Futures, 21st July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Top GC defends in-house lawyers’ approach to ethics – Legal Futures

Posted July 15th, 2020 in coronavirus, legal aid, legal profession, legal services, news, regulations by sally

‘A leading general counsel has attacked the assumption that in-house lawyers “leave their morals at the door” when they join their companies.’

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Legal Futures, 15th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk