Lawyers to stage full-day walkout over legal aid cuts in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘Criminal courts across England and Wales will be severely disrupted next month when barristers and solicitors escalate their protests against legal aid cuts by staging a full-day walkout.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Family law in crisis – New Law Journal

‘Cuts to legal aid have thrown family proceedings into chaos, say Kim Beatson, Caroline Bowden & Ellen Lucas.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 10th February 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

“Mandatory” mediation – not mandatory enough! – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted February 10th, 2014 in bills, case management, dispute resolution, divorce, domestic violence, legal aid, news by tracey

‘In recent weeks there has been widespread reporting of government measures to introduce “mandatory mediation” for separating couples. This will be brought in under the Children and Families Bill, which is due to come into force in April. So, what exactly will the proposals mean? Will they actually result in couples moving away courts, and resolving their disputes through mediation, as the government wants?’

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Halsburys Law Exchange, 10th February 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Ben Jaffey and Tom Hickman: Loading the Dice in Judicial Review: The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill 2014 – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted February 7th, 2014 in bills, criminal justice, judicial review, legal aid, news by tracey

‘Public lawyers across the country are anxiously scrutinising yesterday’s response by the Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling, to the Judicial Review consultation and the associated Criminal Justice and Courts Bill. They are seeking to ascertain the extent to which access to judicial review will be restricted and, in the case of many firms with legal aid contracts in public law, to see if whether their business will remain financially viable at all.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Group, 6th February 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Government JR reforms ‘take a sledgehammer to the rule of law’ – LegalVoice

Posted February 7th, 2014 in consultations, judicial review, legal aid, news, protective costs orders by tracey

‘Controversial proposals to restrict judicial review will go ahead by way of a “a tough package of reform”, the government confirmed yesterday. Publishing its response to the consultation, Judicial Review: Proposals for further reform, the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, said: “I believe in protecting judicial review as a check on unlawful executive action, but I am equally clear that it should not be abused, to act as a brake on growth.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 6th February 2014

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Legal aid cuts could put Britain’s reputation for impartiality and fairness at risk – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2014 in civil justice, legal aid, news by sally

‘Britain’s international reputation for justice is not just a matter of pride: it also earns billions in exports.’

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The Guardian, 4th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Supporting the introduction of the single Family Court – Proposed changes to Family legal aid remuneration schemes – Ministry of Justice

Posted February 3rd, 2014 in budgets, consultations, equality, family courts, fees, legal aid, remuneration by tracey

‘The Government consulted on a proposal to change the current family legal aid fee payment schemes in October 2013. This document reflects the responses that we have received to the consultation and describes how the Government intends to proceed.’

Full document

Ministry of Justice, 31st January 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

VHCC cases jeopardised by fee cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 3rd, 2014 in barristers, budgets, costs, fees, fraud, legal aid, news, solicitor advocates, trials by tracey

‘Multi-million-pound fraud trials are being put in jeopardy by the Ministry of Justice’s cuts to advocates’ fees, the Gazette has learned.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd February 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

In the matter of an application of Raymond Brownlee for Judicial Review (AP) (Northern Ireland) – Supreme Court

In the matter of an application of Raymond Brownlee for Judicial Review (AP) (Northern Ireland) [2014] UKSC 4 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 29th January 2014

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Bar Council chairman: further legal aid cuts would be false economy – The Guardian

Posted January 29th, 2014 in barristers, budgets, criminal justice, fees, legal aid, miscarriage of justice, news by sally

‘There will be too few experienced barristers to deal with complex criminal cases if the government pushes through proposals for further cuts to legal aid, the new chairman of the Bar Council has warned.’

Full story

The Guardian, 28th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid lawyers form new group to oppose cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 29th, 2014 in barristers, budgets, demonstrations, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘Groups representing legal aid lawyers have formed a new campaign group to oppose fresh cuts in funding.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 28th January 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Launch of the Bar Standards Board handbook; challenges and opportunities – Attorney General’s Office

‘Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC MP keynote speech at the launch of new Bar Standards Board handbook.’

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Attorney General’s Office,

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Woolf on the “transforming” potential of Low Commission recommendations – Legal Voice

Posted January 16th, 2014 in judges, legal aid, legal representation, news, reports by tracey

‘A former lord chief justice called on politicians to back the recommendations of the Low Commission which last week made the case for an extra £100m to ensure “a basic level of provision” of advice in its final report.’

Full story

Legal Voice, 15th January 2014

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Finance and Divorce Update – Family Law Week

‘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 December.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 2nd January 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Lawyers forced to pay out £1m in no win, no fee disputes – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2014 in compensation, complaints, costs, fees, legal aid, legal ombudsman, news, solicitors by sally

‘Lawyers were ordered to pay almost £1m in compensation to disappointed clients last year owing to failures in no win, no fee agreements, according to figures released by the legal ombudsman.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Barristers and solicitors walk out over cuts to legal aid fees – The Guardian

‘Criminal courts across England and Wales will be severely disrupted on Monday morning when barristers and solicitors stage an unprecedented mass walkout in protest at government plans to slash legal aid fees by up to 30%.’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Vote of no confidence in Society leadership passes – Legal Voice

Posted December 19th, 2013 in Law Society, legal aid, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A vote of no confidence in the Law Society’s leadership over its handling of the criminal legal aid reforms has today been passed by 52% at a Special General Meeting (SGM) of the Society.’

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Legal Voice, 17th December 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

BSB publishes guidance on deliberately failing to attend court – Bar Standards Board

‘The Bar Standards Board has today published guidance on deliberately failing to attend court.’

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Bar Standards Board, 18th December 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Committee says proposed legal aid cuts may breach human rights – The Guardian

‘Chris Grayling is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, the chair of an influential all-party backbench committee has suggested. Oscar Wilde’s cynical jibe was twice put to the justice secretary when he gave evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on 26 November and was then repeated by Dr Hywel Francis, a Labour MP, when he launched its report today.’

Full story

The Guardian, 13th December 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Supreme Court on “prohibitively expensive” costs: Aarhus again – UK Human Rights Blog

‘This is the last gasp in the saga on whether Mrs Pallikaropoulos should bear £25,000 of the costs of her unsuccessful 2008 appeal to the House of Lords. And the answer, after intervening trips to the Supreme Court in 2010 and to the CJEU in 2013, is a finding by the Supreme Court that she should bear those costs.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 11th December 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com