McKenzie friends rebuff from bar – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 20th, 2015 in barristers, legal services, McKenzie friends, news, rights of audience by tracey

‘Paid McKenzie friends should not be allowed to speak in court, the Bar Council has said, responding to “serious concerns” about the negative impact they can have on the administration of justice.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 20th July 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Courtroom abuse sparks new McKenzie friend fears – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 2nd, 2015 in barristers, consultations, judiciary, legal services, McKenzie friends, news by sally

‘An imminent consultation by the judiciary on the proliferation of paid McKenzie friends in court is ringing alarm bells among lawyers, after a former nightclub bouncer was banned from providing such a service for grossly offensive behaviour.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st June 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

McKenzie friends could drive ‘bulldozer’ through Legal Services Act – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in criminal justice, fees, legal services, McKenzie friends, news, reports by sally

‘Giving McKenzie friends permission to speak in court would drive a bulldozer through the Legal Services Act, which was intended to regulate reserved activities, criminal barristers have said.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Keep legal executives out of the Crown Court, Rivlin report demands – Legal Futures

‘A report for the Bar Council on the future of criminal justice and advocacy has recommended that legal executives are kept out of the Crown Courts, while solicitors should only be granted rights of audience if they have undergone the same level of training as barristers.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 31st March 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Financial Remedies Working Group final report – Judiciary.gov.uk

‘The Financial Remedies Working Group (“the group”) was established by the President of the Family Division in June 2014. It has been chaired by Nicholas Mostyn J and Stephen Cobb J.

The group produced an interim report on 31 July 2014, making a number of recommendations. This final report should be read in conjunction with that interim report.’

Final report

Judiciary of England and Wales, 28th January 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

New Bar leader: young barristers should take place of paid McKenzie Friends – Legal Futures

Posted December 10th, 2014 in barristers, fees, McKenzie friends, news, solicitors by sally

‘Junior barristers should get themselves accredited for direct access work and act in cases where people are currently relying on paid McKenzie Friends, the incoming Bar Council chairman has said as he promised to promote direct access to the public.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 10th December 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Better than nothing… helpful… mad as a bag of frogs’: judges on McKenzie Friends –

Posted December 5th, 2014 in family courts, litigants in person, McKenzie friends, news, reports by sally

‘A new report on litigants in person in private family law cases has added to concerns over the value and legitimacy of McKenzie Friends in the legal services market. The report, commissioned and published by the Ministry of Justice, into litigants in person in the family courts (here) found the Legal Services Consumer Panel’s recommendation that professional McKenzie Friends be recognised as a legitimate part of the market (reported here) ‘somewhat surprising’.’

Full story

LegalVoice, 4th December 2014

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Is having a ‘friend’ for your day in court a good thing? – BBC News

Posted November 10th, 2014 in litigants in person, McKenzie friends, news by sally

‘If you were in the desperate position of needing brain surgery, would you be content for someone with no medical training, but who had seen quite a few brain operations, to carry out yours?

Full story

BBC News, 10th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

LSB caution on growth of paid McKenzie friends – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 5th, 2014 in legal services, McKenzie friends, news, remuneration by tracey

‘The oversight legal regulator has given a muted backing to the emergence of fee-charging McKenzie friends. Legal Services Board chairman Sir Michael Pitt (pictured) supported the suggestion that paid legal advisers should be recognised as a “legitimate feature” of the legal services market.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd September 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Culture change’ needed to embrace fee-charging McKenzie friends – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Fee-charging McKenzie friends increase access to justice and make up a “legitimate feature of the modern legal market”, according to a report published today by watchdog the Legal Services Consumer Panel. The president of the Law Society described the panel’s findings as “worrying”.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th April 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update – Family Law Week

Posted February 4th, 2014 in divorce, family courts, fees, financial provision, McKenzie friends, news by sally

‘Jessica Craigs, senior solicitor and David Salter, Joint Head of Family Law at Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the financial remedies and divorce news and cases published in January.’

Full story

Family Law Update, 2nd February 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Probe into growth of ‘professional’ McKenzie Friends – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Consumer Panel has begun an investigation into the emergence of ‘professional’ McKenzie Friends who charge litigants in person for their services, it has emerged.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 7th January 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The Judicial Working Group on Litigants in Person – Judiciary of England and Wales

“The Judicial Working Group on Litigants in Person – Report, July 2013.”

Full report

Judiciary of England and Wales, 5th July 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Can you decide who is to be your unpaid advocate? Eleanor Battie – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 24th, 2013 in appeals, litigants in person, McKenzie friends, news by tracey

“RE F (CHILDREN) 14 May 2013, Court of Appeal – A topical case, this, given legal aid cutbacks. It concerns the ability of unrepresented litigants to choose those to help them out as advocates in court. Not an unconstrained right, as this case demonstrates. The High Court ruled that a judge had been entitled to refuse an application for a particular person to act as a McKenzie friend despite that individual not being present in court at the time of the application. The Court of Appeal upheld that decision.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 24th May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Practice guidance – Mckenzie Friends: Civil and Family Courts – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted July 13th, 2010 in family courts, McKenzie friends, news by sally

“This Guidance applies to civil and family proceedings in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division), the High Court of Justice, the County Courts and the Family Proceedings Court in the Magistrates’ Courts.”

Full press release

Judiciary of England and Wales, 12th July 2010

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

President of the Family Division Guidance: McKenzie Friends October 2008 – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted October 17th, 2008 in family courts, McKenzie friends, practice directions by sally

“President of the Family Division Guidance: McKenzie Friends October 2008.”

Full guidance note

Judiciary of England and Wales, 16th October 2008

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

President’s Guidance: McKenzie Friends – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted April 15th, 2008 in family courts, McKenzie friends, practice directions by sally

President’s Guidance: McKenzie Friends (PDF)

President of the Family Division, 14th April 2008

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk