Category: litigants in person

Judge praises solicitor subject to ‘intense, personal’ abuse from LiP – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 2nd, 2022 in families, family courts, harassment, litigants in person, news, solicitors by tracey

‘The family court has reserved praise for a solicitor operating in the face of repeated abuse from a litigant in person. In TF v DL (Post separation Litigation Abuse) a father made a total of 13 applications in relation to access to his children, the tone of which District Judge Webb described as “deeply offensive, homophobic and sexist”.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 1st December 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

LiP support goes hybrid with 700 law student volunteers – Legal Futures

Posted October 17th, 2022 in charities, litigants in person, news, universities, volunteers by sally

‘The charity that supports litigants in person (LiPs) is launching an expanded university-focused service this autumn, offering a mixture of in-person and online advice.’

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Legal Futures, 17th October 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Pilot early advice for child arrangements ‘without delay’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 13th, 2022 in child arrangements orders, family courts, legal advice, litigants in person, news, pilot schemes by tracey

‘Early legal advice on child arrangements should be piloted as part of ambitious reforms that will help to resolve more disputes away from court, an influential thinktank has recommended.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 13th October 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

A rare EAT finding of the appearance of unconscious confirmation bias – Doughty Street Chambers

Posted August 18th, 2022 in appeals, bias, chambers articles, employment, employment tribunals, equality, litigants in person, news, race discrimination by sally

‘In Laing v Bury & Bolton Citizens Advice [2022] EAT 85, the EAT found that a tribunal had erred in dismissing a claim brought by Litigant in Person where it had commented extensively, at times using strong and personalised language, on the Claimant’s behaviour throughout the hearing drawing upon such behaviour in support of how he must have behaved at work. It concluded that a fair-minded and informed observer would conclude that there was a real possibility that his behaviour had engendered an antipathy towards him which unconsciously influenced the tribunal’s collective decision in relation to a victimisation complaint.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 1st August 2022

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

Extra support for thousands navigating the legal system – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 13th, 2022 in budgets, charities, legal aid, legal services, litigants in person, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘Thousands more vulnerable people will have help navigating civil and family legal issues thanks to increased government investment in legal support.’

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Ministry of Justice, 12th July 2022

Source: www.gov.uk

Litigant in person can sue law centre and barrister for negligence – Legal Futures

Posted July 5th, 2022 in barristers, law centres, limitations, litigants in person, negligence, news, sale of land, striking out by sally

‘A litigant in person is not statute-barred from suing a law centre and barrister for professional negligence, a High Court master has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 5th July 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Case Management Order unintentionally struck out claim – 3PB

Posted May 24th, 2022 in appeals, case management, employment tribunals, litigants in person, news, striking out by sally

‘It is commonplace – as the President of the EAT observed in this appeal – for ETs, carrying out their case management functions at a private preliminary hearing, to seek to clarify the claims that are being pursued and to draw up a list of issues to be determined at the full merits hearing in order to decide those claims. In the present case, such a task came before an EJ sitting alone at a closed preliminary hearing – together with a great quantity of material including a document setting out the claimant’s grounds of complaint over some 64 pages.’

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3PB, 3rd May 2022

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Paper-only small claims pilot “likely to do injustice” to litigants – Legal Futures

Posted May 24th, 2022 in county courts, litigants in person, news, pilot schemes, small claims by sally

‘A pilot scheme that will see small claims cases determined on the paper in six county courts from next month is “likely to do injustice” to litigants, an academic has argued.’

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Legal Futures, 24th May 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

LiP loses costs challenge over ‘no longer instructed’ barrister – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 9th, 2022 in barristers, costs, harassment, injunctions, legal representation, litigants in person, news by tracey

‘A litigant who tried to argue that his costs order was agreed by a barrister who was no longer instructed has lost a court challenge.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 9th May 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

The Farquhar Committee and the Future of the Financial Remedies Court – Family Law

Posted January 10th, 2022 in coronavirus, electronic filing, families, family courts, financial dispute resolution, litigants in person, news, remote hearings by tracey

’23 March 2020 will be etched in the mind of generations. It was the day which brought unprecedented change to the way the world worked, not least the operation of the justice system and access to justice. Like many areas of law, the Financial Remedies Court [‘FRC’], was not prepared for the sudden and abrupt suspension of attended hearings, yet advances in technology quickly enabled the FRC to get back to work, albeit, at least to begin with, in a totally alien way for many. The use of remote hearings as a way of administering justice has now been the norm for over 20 months, and as the world begins to cautiously ‘get back to normal’, the question on the minds of all those practicing within the FRC is “what does the new normal look like?”’

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Family Law, 7th January 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

‘Experienced’ LiP refused adjournment for pro bono counsel’s unavailability – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 30th, 2021 in adjournment, executors, litigants in person, negligence, news, pro bono work by tracey

‘A High Court judge has refused a litigant’s plea to adjourn a hearing date on the basis his preferred barrister was double booked on that date.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 30th November 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Litigating with Litigants in Person: Useful Pointers on Balancing Duties – Parklane Plowden Chambers

Posted November 3rd, 2021 in barristers, chambers articles, codes of practice, litigants in person, news by sally

‘The growth in the number of litigants in person (LiPs) in the Employment Tribunal has been keenly apparent over the last 18 months, when dealing with cases remotely as a consequence of Covid19. Whilst as lawyers we have had to familiarise ourselves with navigating electronic bundles and technology for remote hearings we have navigated through otherwise familiar territory.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 28th October 2021

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

First-Tier Tribunal SEN proceedings not unfair despite difficulties faced by hearing impaired mother, judge rules – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 23rd, 2021 in appeals, disabled persons, litigants in person, news, remote hearings, special educational needs, tribunals by tracey

‘A First-Tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) case was not conducted unfairly despite an appellant and a witness having difficulty in hearing the online proceedings, the Upper Tribunal Administrative Appeals Chamber has decided.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd September 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

More needs to be done to ensure remote hearings are fair and work smoothly, say family professionals – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 27th, 2021 in consultations, coronavirus, families, family courts, legal representation, litigants in person, local government, news, remote hearings, statistics by sally

‘Nearly two thirds of professionals responding to the latest Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO) rapid consultation feel that more needs to be done to ensure that remote hearings are fair and work smoothly.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th July 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judge refuses plea from litigant in person for free hard copy bundle – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 25th, 2021 in budgets, civil procedure rules, documents, housing, legal representation, litigants in person, news, repossession by tracey

‘The High Court has ruled out giving a litigant in person a free hard copy of the bundle prepared for two forthcoming trials, with the judge noting that parties do not necessarily need to have equal resources.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 24th June 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

“Hopelessly complicated” whiplash portal guide slammed – Legal Futures

Posted May 13th, 2021 in accidents, computer programs, electronic filing, litigants in person, news, personal injuries, road traffic by sally

‘The 64-page users guide for litigants in person navigating the new Official Injury Claim portal has been strongly criticised by a leading academic for being “hopelessly complicated”.’

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Legal Futures, 13th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The 64-page guide for litigants in person bringing ‘simple’ whiplash claims – Legal Futures

Posted April 30th, 2021 in accidents, civil procedure rules, compensation, damages, litigants in person, news, personal injuries, small claims by tracey

‘A 64-page users’ guide aimed at litigants in person who have to navigate the “straightforward” Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal for whiplash claims was published yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 30th April 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court rejects claim that ‘stern’ judge was hostile towards LiPs – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 19th, 2021 in appeals, bias, judges, litigants in person, news, probate, retrials by tracey

‘The High Court has thrown out the suggestion that a judge was biased against three litigants in person, saying the deputy master was stern and showed signs of impatience but handled the case in a “fair and open-minded way.”‘

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th April 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Not two sets of rules’: Litigant in person handed £100k costs bill – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 6th, 2021 in costs, indemnities, litigants in person, news by sally

‘A litigant in person has been ordered to pay almost £100,000 in interim costs after another reminder from the court that unrepresented people cannot expect special treatment.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th April 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Litigants baffled as civil procedure rules move to new site – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 18th, 2021 in civil procedure rules, criminal procedure, family courts, internet, litigants in person, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘Lawyers and litigants awoke this morning to the wholesale move of procedure rules to a government website described by one as “unusable”.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th February 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk