‘A judge has halted a serious fraud trial after defendants claimed they could not get adequate representation because cuts to legal aid, and as a result they would not get a fair trial under common law or Article 6 of the Convention. This case could be the first of a number of reversals following the government’s legal aid reforms with seven further trials due to start before September 2015 involving 28 defendants in similar positions.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 6th May 2014
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘Legal aid, judicial review and the role of the Lord Chancellor dominated the headlines last week – with the Operation Cotton case and the Joint Committee on Human Right’s report on judicial review putting increasing pressure on the Government’s reforms.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 6th May 2014
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘Legal aid cuts will not undermine family justice, the head of the Family Division insisted last week as he mooted plans for judge-free divorces and greater legal rights for separating cohabitees.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 5th May 2014
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘A soldier has won legal aid in his fight to find out what the Ministry of Defence knew of the health risks of the vaccinations given to troops ahead of the first Gulf War.’
BBC News, 3rd May 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Earlier this week, the parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has published its report on The implications for access to justice of the Government’s proposals to reform judicial review (HL 174 HC 868 2013-14). The report is, perhaps unsurprisingly, generally critical of the proposals and of the way in which they have been or are being introduced. I have already summarised the proposals and commented on some of them in earlier posts. In this post, I draw attention to some key passages in the JCHR’s report, commenting on them briefly and, at the end of the piece, offering some reflections on some of the underlying constitutional issues highlighted by the Committee.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 1st May 2014
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘When does the same Government that decides to prosecute someone have an obligation to ensure that that individual has representation? That was the question that HHJ Leonard had to answer at Southwark Crown Court on 1 May 2014. The case is called “Operation Cotton” and, as the argument proceeded, featured five legally aided defendants. The argument got more media attention this week than it perhaps otherwise would because the legally aided defendants were represented by Alexander Cameron QC, who happens to be the brother of the Prime Minister (Cameron QC was acting for free, which his brother would surely applaud as an example of the “Big Society” in action).’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 1st May 2014
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
‘Angela Patrick, Director of Human Rights Policy at JUSTICE, summarises the important Joint Committee on Human Rights report “The implications for access to justice of the Government’s proposals to reform judicial review”.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 30th April 2014
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘2013 was a difficult year for claimant disrepair. Changes in legal aid funding have made it all but impossible to pursue a disrepair claim under legal aid alone, as funding is only available for an order to carry out repairs to where there is serious risk to health or well being of the tenant or other occupiers, and not for further repairs or the damages claim (although full funding remains for a counterclaim to a possession claim, which can be brought after the possession order).’
NearlyLegal, 13th April 2014
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
‘Criminal solicitor groups have taken the first step towards a legal challenge to the government’s decision to press ahead with cuts to criminal legal aid.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 9th April 2014
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘It is Prison Service policy that prisons provide a fair and equal service to all prisoners, including to those who are disabled. The purpose of this policy is to make sure that the Prison Service meets its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 (EqA). However, for many disabled prisoners, these obligations are not being met.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th April 2014
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
‘Solicitors and probation officers in England and Wales are staging joint action against changes introduced by the Ministry of Justice.’
BBC News, 31st March 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Cuts in legal aid are creating chaos in the family courts, according to legal experts, who warn that the resulting delays are having a serious impact on the children of warring parents.’
The Guardian, 29th March 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘As MPs and Peers consider the Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration)(Amendment)(No 3) Regulations and the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, Angela Patrick, Director of Human Rights Policy at JUSTICE considers the Lord Chancellor’s view that proposed judicial review changes do not restrict access to judicial review remedies or restrict the rule of law.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 26th March 2014
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
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