Lady Hale warns of consequences of legal aid cuts – The Guardian

Posted November 29th, 2011 in bills, civil justice, judges, law centres, legal aid, news, speeches by sally

“The supreme court judge’s speech to the Law Centres Federation’s conference on the effects of the government’s proposed legal aid bill.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The justice and security green paper is an attack on liberty – The Guardian

Posted November 16th, 2011 in civil justice, disclosure, evidence, ministers' powers and duties, news, terrorism by sally

“The foreign secretary is to endorse plans that will undermine a fundamental constitutional right: the right to open justice. As the Labour party is broadly supportive of the government’s proposals, we can expect them to be approved by parliament next year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Changes mean outlook is bleak for unrepresented litigants – The Guardian

Posted November 15th, 2011 in civil justice, litigants in person, news, reports by sally

“The new Civil Justice Council paper on the plight of litigants in person pulls no punches. The number of people unfortunate enough to come before the courts without a lawyer ‘will increase and with considerable scale’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts ‘will stop the most vulnerable getting justice’ says report – The Guardian

Posted November 11th, 2011 in civil justice, Civil Justice Council, legal aid, litigants in person, news by tracey

“Civil Justice Council says planned £350m reduction in legal aid budget will also result in courts struggling to manage caseloads.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

 

Access to Justice for Litigants in Person (or self-represented litigants) – Civil Justice Council

Posted November 11th, 2011 in civil justice, Civil Justice Council, legal aid, litigants in person, reports by tracey

“A CJC working party has looked at how access to justice can be improved for individuals, known as litigants-in-person, who either choose not to have or cannot afford legal representation. Its report sets out a range of short and longer term practical recommendations aimed at addressing the problems faced by unrepresented litigants to help them resolve their disputes.”

Full report

Civil Justice Council, 11th November 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/advisory-bodies/cjc

Legislation nightmares leave us scratching our heads – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted November 2nd, 2011 in civil justice, criminal justice, legislative drafting, news, parliament by tracey

“As Stephen Levinson’s recent post has reminded us, we are not living in a golden age of legislative drafting. In the field of criminal law, some particularly ghastly examples of bamboozling legislation can be found in various provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 – described by no less an authority than Rose LJ as ‘at best, obscure and, at worst, impenetrable’ (R v Campell [2006] EWCA Crim 726, [2006] 2 Cr App R (S) 626 at [1]).”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 2nd November 2011

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Third Lecture in the Implementation Programme – Speech by Lord Justice Jackson

Third Lecture in the Implementation Programme (PDF)

Speech by Lord Justice Jackson

Judiciary of England and Wales, 31st October 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Jackson: civil justice reforms are balanced – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 1st, 2011 in civil justice, costs, judges, news, speeches by sally

“‘Lawyers leave no stone unturned when it comes to arguing about costs,’ the architect of the civil justice reforms being introduced by government said this week.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st November 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Justice in a time of economic crisis and in the age of the internet – Speech by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls

Posted October 19th, 2011 in civil justice, courts, internet, legal profession, speeches by sally

Justice in a time of economic crisis and in the age of the internet (PDF)

Speech by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls

High Sheriff’s Lecture 2011, 13th October 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Access to justice is a fine concept. What does it mean in view of cuts to legal aid? – The Guardian

Posted October 6th, 2011 in civil justice, legal aid, news by sally

“Experts give their views on the effect on ordinary people in light of Ken Clarke’s reforms to publicly funded law.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bid to exempt Trafigura-type claims from reform fails – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 15th, 2011 in bills, civil justice, fees, human rights, legal aid, news by tracey

“Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs have rejected an amendment to legislation that would exempt claims brought by foreigners against UK multinationals from civil litigation reforms. The Public Bill Committee debated the amendment to the Legal Aid, Punishment of Offenders and Sentencing Bill, tabled by Labour MP Kate Green, yesterday.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th September 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

What price access to justice? – Garden Court Chambers Blog

Posted August 23rd, 2011 in civil justice, legal aid, news by sally

“Access to justice is under grave attack by the Coalition Government. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2011 (the ‘Legal Aid Bill’) is currently before Parliament and if it is enacted then it will result in severe and swingeing cuts to public funding for advice and representation in a wide spectrum of civil cases.”

Full story

Garden Court Chambers Blog, 18th August 2011

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

Working party established to help implement Jackson – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 18th, 2011 in civil justice, costs, fees, news by sally

“The Civil Justice Council has today announced the membership of an expert working party that will consider implementation of the Jackson (pictured) reforms of civil litigation costs.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 18th August 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid lawyers band together to lobby government – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 4th, 2011 in civil justice, legal aid, news by sally

“Lawyers’ groups have come together in an informal coalition to lobby the government over its legal aid and civil costs reforms, which they claim will ‘threaten the entire legal advice network’.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd August 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Defamation lawyer: abuse victims need CFAs – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 21st, 2011 in civil justice, defamation, fees, media, news, privacy by sally

“A leading defamation lawyer has called for conditional fee agreements to be preserved to help victims of press abuse.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 21st July 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

The Lord Mayor’s dinner for HM Judges – Speech by The Lord Judge

Posted July 19th, 2011 in civil justice, judiciary, legal services, speeches by tracey

“The Lord Mayor’s dinner for HM Judges, Speech by The Lord Judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, 15/07/2011.”

Full speech

Judiciary of England and wales, 15th July 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

‘No win, no fee’ agreements have led to the exposure of media abuse – The Guardian

Posted July 19th, 2011 in civil justice, defamation, fees, insurance, media, news, privacy by tracey

“The present proposals by the Ministry of Justice to abolish the recovery by successful claimants of the success fees on ‘no win no fee’ libel and privacy cases and the recovery of ‘after the event’ (ATE) insurance premiums represents a damaging and dangerous attack on access to justice for ordinary citizens of modest means.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th July 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Chairman Tells MPs to Protect Access to Justice as Controversial Legal Aid Bill Reaches Committee Stage – The Bar Council

Posted July 12th, 2011 in bills, civil justice, legal aid, press releases by tracey

“Peter Lodder QC, Chairman of the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has called for MPs to protect access to justice ahead of his appearance before the Public Bill Committee this afternoon.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 12th July 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

DIY justice is justice denied – The Guardian

Posted July 12th, 2011 in bills, civil justice, legal aid, news by tracey

“The ransacking of legal aid means society’s most vulnerable will be left to fend for themselves.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th July 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Solicitors and others remain divided over desirability of the government’s civil justice reforms – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 7th, 2011 in civil justice, consultations, legislation, news by sally

“In The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, the government conceded remarkably little following extensive – though hardly protracted – periods of consultation.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 7th July 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk