Lawyers want crackdown on ‘unscrupulous’ untrained advocates who put public at risk – Daily Telegraph

‘A new breed of untrained legal advocates who are ripping off the public with “flawed” and “dangerous” legal advice should be banned, lawyers’ leaders and politicians have urged ministers.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘McKenzie friends’ must be banned because courts are being overrun by untrained advocates, senior politicians say – Daily Telegraph

‘A new breed of untrained legal advocates who are ripping off the public with “flawed” and “dangerous” legal advice should be banned, lawyers’ leaders and politicians have urged ministers.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Urgent Action Required: The Bar Council’s 2019 Manifesto for the Justice System – The Bar Council

Posted November 26th, 2019 in barristers, civil justice, criminal justice, elections, legal aid, news by tracey

‘Today, at the Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference, Richard Atkins QC, Chair of the Bar, has announced the launch of the Bar Council’s general election manifesto – Urgent Action Required.’

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The Bar Council , 23rd November 2019

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Jump in unrepresented defendants as legal aid cuts continue to bite – The Guardian

‘The number of unrepresented defendants in crown courts is rising sharply, the head of the Criminal Bar Association has warned, as cuts to legal aid increasingly affect the criminal justice system.’

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The Guardian, 24th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Go to the LAA for civil contempt funding, not us – High Court – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 18th, 2019 in appeals, civil justice, injunctions, legal aid, litigants in person, news, solicitors by sally

‘Litigants in person and solicitors should go through the Legal Aid Agency, not the High Court, for public funding in civil contempt proceedings, a judge has said in a bid to clear up confusion over who has the power to grant legal aid.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 15th November 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Commonwealth head warns of dangers of denying justice to all – The Guardian

‘Denying access to justice risks creating fresh conflicts at a time when the international rule of law is under threat, the Commonwealth secretary general has warned ahead of a meeting of the organisation’s law enforcement officers.’

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The Guardian, 5th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Separated migrant children given better access to legal aid – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 28th, 2019 in children, families, immigration, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, press releases by tracey

‘Vulnerable migrant children who have been separated from their parents will get quicker and simpler access to legal aid, after new government legislation came into force today (25 October 2019). The Legal Aid for Separated Children Order 2019 will bring non-asylum immigration and citizenship matters into the scope of legal aid for under 18s who are not in the care of a parent, guardian or legal authority.’

Full press release 

Ministry of Justice, 25th October 2019

Source: www.gov.www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

‘I struggled to do my mum justice at her inquest’ – BBC News

‘Every year, mental health trusts spend millions of pounds employing lawyers to represent them at inquests, where they could be found to be at fault. The relatives of those who have died, however, often get no legal aid and have to stand up and face those lawyers alone. Becky Montacute describes her bid to ensure that the lessons from her mother’s death were learned.’

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BBC News, 1st October 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquisitorial inquests and barrister-blaming – Counsel

‘Families have no automatic right to legal aid at inquests where the state may be implicated and legal aid is means tested. Thus at many such hearings, the family fends for itself while culpable public bodies are represented at taxpayers’ expense.’

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Counsel, September 2019

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Former top judge lambasts Grayling and Truss in memoir – The Guardian

‘The former lord chancellor Chris Grayling “never believed access to social justice” was important while Liz Truss was a “disaster” in the same role, according to a highly revealing memoir by one of the country’s most senior, recently retired judges.’

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The Guardian, 21st August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Parents win funding to mount legal challenge over school closure – The Guardian

Posted August 20th, 2019 in legal aid, news, school children, special educational needs by sally

‘Parents shocked by the sudden closure of a residential unit at a special needs school in Bristol, which resulted in children with severe and complex learning difficulties having to move out, have won legal aid funding to investigate a possible challenge to the lawfulness of the decision.’

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The Guardian, 19th August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Authorities say my 15-year-old client is 27 and want to deport him’: my job as a legal aid lawyer – The Guardian

Posted August 20th, 2019 in asylum, children, deportation, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

‘I go home each night worrying about my clients. I wonder who would know if something bad ever happened to them.’

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The Guardian, 19th August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal charities urge government to delay whiplash reforms – Legal Futures

‘Four leading legal charities have urged the government to delay next year’s whiplash reforms over fears that litigants in person and the organisations supporting them will be overwhelmed by the new regime.’

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Legal Futures, 13th August 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Post-LASPO and the role of diversity in family law – Family Law

Posted August 5th, 2019 in diversity, equality, families, legal aid, news, statistics, women by tracey

‘Celebrations and policy campaigns continue to mark a 100 years of women in law. In 2017, as reported in the Law Society’s Annual Statistics Report Flyer 2018 ‘for the first time, the number of female practising certificate (PC) holders exceeded male colleagues…women made up 50.1% of all PC holders – up from 43.4% in 2007.’ Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) professionals as practising solicitors were at its highest at 16.5% of the profession. While significant strives have been made, little attention has been paid to the impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) on the role of diversity, with particular reference to women and BAME, in family law.’

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Family Law, 5th August 2019

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

CA: Judge wrong to discharge jury over barrister’s closing speech – Legal Futures

Posted August 2nd, 2019 in barristers, juries, jury directions, legal aid, news, wasted costs orders by tracey

‘A judge was wrong to discharge the jury in a criminal trial after “inappropriate” remarks by the defence barrister in his closing speech, the Lord Chief Justice has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd August 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

UK’s top judge calls for donations to legal support charity – The Guardian

Posted July 29th, 2019 in budgets, charities, family courts, judges, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

‘The UK’s most senior judge has appealed for people to give money to a charity whose volunteers support those who become embroiled in civil court cases but cannot afford a lawyer.’

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The Guardian, 28th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Separated migrant children to access legal aid more easily – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 25th, 2019 in children, citizenship, immigration, legal aid, press releases by tracey

‘Draft legislation will bring immigration and citizenship matters into the scope of legal aid for separated migrant children.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 22nd July 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Solicitors right to throw off “shackles” of legal aid for CFA – Litigation Futures

Posted July 25th, 2019 in fees, legal aid, news, solicitors by tracey

‘The High Court has described as “reasonable” a decision by claimant lawyers that they needed the “freedom” of a conditional fee agreement (CFA) and shake off “the shackles” of legal aid to properly conduct a medical negligence claim.’

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Litigation Futures, 24th July 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Legal advice centres in England and Wales halved since 2013-14 – The Guardian

‘Half of all law centres and not-for-profit legal advice services in England and Wales have closed over the past six years, according to government figures.’

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The Guardian, 15th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Family courts ‘running up a down escalator’ due to increase in cases – The Guardian

Posted July 3rd, 2019 in budgets, family courts, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

‘Family courts are having to “run up a down escalator” to keep pace with unprecedented increases in childcare cases, the most senior family judge in England and Wales has said.’

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The Guardian, 3rd July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com