Barristers attack legal aid plans from government – BBC News
“Barristers have attacked plans to cut £220m from the annual criminal case legal aid budget in England and Wales.”
BBC News, 4th June 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: criminal justice
Middle-class families face ruin under legal aid reforms, top lawyer warns – Daily Telegraph
“Middle class families face bankruptcy and miscarriages of justice under reforms which threaten to undermine the Britain’s legal system, one of the country’s most senior lawyers has warned.”
Daily Telegraph, 31st May 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Going down: criminal justice statistics – The Guardian
“Recorded crime, convictions and the number of individuals entering prisons have shown a dramatic decline since 2011. We take a closer look at the data.”
The Guardian, 30th May 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘We’re at the cliff edge now’ – LegalVoice
“‘Unity is our secret weapon’ was the key message that emerged from this week’s unprecedented meeting of 1,000 defence lawyers who voted unanimously backing a motion that price competitive tendering was ‘not the way forward’, writes Jon Robins.”
LegalVoice, 24th May 2013
Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk
Lawyers protest outside parliament against legal aid cuts – The Guardian
“Hundreds, some wearing wigs and gowns, demonstrate against justice secretary’s plans, which they say undermine UK justice.”
The Guardian, 22nd May 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
7 out of 10 of the British public fear legal aid cuts will lead to injustice – The Bar Council
“A ComRes poll, commissioned by the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, today shows that seven out of ten (71%) of the British public are concerned that cuts to legal aid could lead to innocent people being convicted of crimes they did not commit. The poll, published this morning, also shows that two-thirds (67%) of the British public agree that legal aid is a price worth paying for living in a fair society.”
The Bar Council, 21st May 2013
Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
Will the new criminal legal aid reforms breach the right to a fair trial? – UK Human Rights Blog
“One of the most contentious proposals in the Consultation Paper on the transforming legal aid is the removal of client choice in criminal cases. Under the proposals contracts for the provision of legal aid will be awarded to a limited number of firms in an area. The areas are similar to the existing CPS areas. The Green Paper anticipates that there will be four or five such providers in each area. Thus the county of Kent, for example, will have four or five providers in an area currently served by fifty or so legal aid firms. Each area will have a limited number providers that will offer it is argued economies of scale.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 16th May 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Legal profession joins forces to oppose unreasonable legal aid proposals – The Bar Council
“Representatives of the Law Society and the Bar Council have joined forces with wider practitioner bodies to oppose the Ministry of Justice Consultation on proposed savage cuts to the funding of the Criminal Legal Aid Budget, the introduction of Price Competitive Tendering and other changes to the criminal justice system.”
The Bar Council, 14th May 2013
Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
Undermine Legal Aid and you put our entire justice system at risk – The Independent
“Now top legal talent will find the prospect of working in criminal courts less attractive.”
The Independent, 14th May 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Exeter lawyer’s anti-legal aid tendering petition signed by 24,000 – BBC News
“A petition against proposed changes to criminal legal aid set up by an Exeter-based solicitor has attracted more than 24,000 signatures.”
BBC News, 30th April 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Glatt v Sinclair (Glatt and others intervening) – WLR Daily
Glatt v Sinclair (Glatt and others intervening) [2013] EWCA Civ 241; [2013] WLR (D) 134
“A court had power to make an order permitting a receiver appointed by the court under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to recover remuneration, disbursements and expenses for work done relating to the receivership once the receivership order had been discharged.”
WLR Daily, 26th March 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Bar Council responds to MoJ legal aid announcements – The Bar Council
“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has responded to today’s Ministry of Justice (‘MoJ’) announcement on legal aid.”
The Bar Council, 9th April
Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
MoJ unveils tendering plans for criminal defence – Law Society’s Gazette
“Defendants will lose the right to choose their lawyer and instead be allocated a representative, under government plans to introduce price-competitive tendering (PCT) for criminal defence services.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 9th April 2013
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Making legal aid fairer for taxpayers – Ministry of Justice
“Plans to boost public confidence in the legal aid system and tackle towering bills have today been put out to consultation by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.”
Ministry of Justice, 9th April 2013
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
Wealthy defendants to be denied legal aid in fresh cuts – The Guardian
“Wealthy criminal defendants with disposable incomes of more than £37,500 a year will no longer automatically be entitled to legal aid under a further round of cuts unveiled by the Ministry of Justice.”
The Guardian, 9th April 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The case for QASA – Legal Futures
“David Wolfe QC of Matrix Chambers argues that the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) is a necessary step to assure the competence of criminal advocates and answers the main criticisms levelled by its opponents.”
Legal Futures, 9th April 2013
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Improving the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime – Ministry of Justice
“This consultation sets out the Government’s plans to reform the Victims’ Code to give victims clearer entitlements from criminal justice agencies and to better tailor service to individual need. It is aimed at all criminal justice agencies, victims of crime and businesses.”
Ministry of Justice, 29th March 2013
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
