Proposed legal aid system ‘won’t compete on quality’ – BBC News

Posted June 5th, 2013 in budgets, judges, legal aid, news, quality assurance, solicitors by sally

“A former Court of Appeal judge has challenged the government’s proposed changes to legal aid in England and Wales.”

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BBC News, 4th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar Council Chairman: We will not facilitate a scheme which will wreck the criminal justice system – The Bar Council

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today stated that it has no plans to develop a quality system to facilitate price competitive tendering (PCT) for criminal legal aid. The Bar Council believes that real quality is based on choice of service providers, not price alone, on which the Government’s model is based. The Bar Council’s response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation clearly sets out its position on this issue.

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The Bar Council, 5th June 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Inner Temple’s Response to Legal Aid Consultation – The Inner Temple

Posted June 5th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, inns of court, legal aid, news by sally

“In response to the Ministry of Justice consultation paper Transforming Legal Aid: Delivering a more credible and efficient system the Inner Temple has submitted the following response that can be viewed here.”

The Inner Temple, 5th June 2013

Source: www.innertemple.org.uk

Legal aid residency tests ‘will leave migrant children destitute’ – The Guardian

“Abandoned migrant and trafficked children will be left destitute and at risk of exploitation if the government goes ahead with a plan to introduce residency tests to determine whether they qualify for legal aid, child protection experts are warning.”

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The Guardian, 2nd June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council responds to legal aid consultation – The Bar Council

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today published its full response to the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) controversial consultation paper, Transforming Legal Aid. The response, which runs to over 150 pages, incorporates expert economic and statistical analysis, which forensically examines the Government’s proposals, highlighting major flaws.”

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The Bar Council, 4th June 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Government’s justice reforms could push innocent people to plead guilty, warns regulator – Bar Standards Board

“Plans to pay legal aid lawyers the same amount for a ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ plea could lead to defendants being pressurised into pleading guilty, warns the Bar Standards Board (BSB). The BSB is responsible for regulating barristers in the public interest, upholding the rule of law and protecting consumers.”

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Bar Standards Board, 3rd June 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Barristers attack legal aid plans from government – BBC News

Posted June 4th, 2013 in barristers, competition, criminal justice, legal aid, news, solicitors, tenders by sally

“Barristers have attacked plans to cut £220m from the annual criminal case legal aid budget in England and Wales.”

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BBC News, 4th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Minister tells profession to adapt to “the new circumstances” of life in the law – Legal Futures

Posted June 4th, 2013 in consultations, legal aid, legal profession, news, parliament by sally

“Solicitors and barristers will have to adjust to ‘the new circumstances’ they are facing as a result of legal aid and other reforms ‘if they are going to survive’, justice minister Lord McNally said yesterday.”

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Legal Futures, 4th June 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB wades into legal aid row – Legal Futures

Posted June 4th, 2013 in barristers, competition, criminal justice, guilty pleas, legal aid, news, tenders by sally

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has waded into the controversy over government plans to introduce price competitive tendering (PCT) in criminal work by warning that it risks causing irreparable harm to the credibility of the criminal justice system and incentivises lawyers to encourage guilty pleas.”

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Legal Futures, 4th June 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Society defies scholars with Mendham Collection auction – The Guardian

Posted June 3rd, 2013 in auctioneers, budgets, Christianity, Law Society, legal aid, news by sally

“The Law Society, facing straitened times following successive cuts in legal aid, is auctioning a collection of rare Reformation-era bibles and religious tracts in defiance of protests from scholars.”

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The Guardian, 3rd June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Middle-class families face ruin under legal aid reforms, top lawyer warns – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 3rd, 2013 in criminal justice, legal aid, legal profession, news, tenders by sally

“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.”

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Daily Telegraph, 31st May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Unite Against the Cuts – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted May 30th, 2013 in civil justice, Law Society, legal aid, news by sally

“Lucy Scott-Moncrieff urges you to join the fight.”

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Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 25th May 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

Death Penalty Legal Funding Refusal: Appeal Court Confirms Limits of Human Rights Act – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 30th, 2013 in appeals, death penalty, foreign jurisdictions, human rights, legal aid, news by sally

“On 22 April 2013 the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in refusing to pay for a lawyer to assist Lindsay Sandiford as she faces the death penalty for drug offences in Indonesia. Last Wednesday, they handed down the reasons for their decision.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Leading lawyers criticise plans to restrict legal aid – BBC News

“Ninety leading barristers have urged the government to withdraw ‘unjust proposals’ to restrict legal aid for people demanding judicial reviews.”

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BBC News, 29th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Leading barristers warn over legal aid cuts – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 29th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, judicial review, legal aid, news by sally

“Dozens of Britain’s leading barristers have warned that reforms of the legal aid system by Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, will ‘seriously undermine the rule of law’.”

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Daily Telegraph, 28th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regina (Sandiford) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs – WLR Daily

Regina (Sandiford) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2013] EWCA Civ 581; [2013] WLR (D) 201

“The policy of the Foreign Secretary to refuse to provide funding for legal representation to United Kingdom nationals who were facing the death penalty abroad was lawful.”

WLR Daily, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Law centres: living on the age – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 28th, 2013 in law centres, legal aid, news by sally

“Last week’s London Legal Walk, coming weeks after swingeing legal aid cuts were introduced, could be read as a show of strength by the whole legal community. Some 7,500 lawyers and staff from firms, legal departments and chambers of all sizes walked to raise funds to support local advice agencies. At the time of writing, an impressive £575,000 was raised. But that in no way comes near the amount taken out of scope by ministers.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th May 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.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.”

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Access to justice at risk with court fee plans, warns CJC – Litigation Futures

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in consultations, courts, fees, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“Government plans to reform the regime for court fees remissions and introduce a means test are too severe and ‘will diminish access to justice for a sizeable group of low-income families’, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) has warned.”

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Litigation Futures, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Leslie Thomas: a voice for the dead – The Guardian

“Witnessing blatant police cruelty convinced the award-winning lawyer to make deaths in custody his life’s work.”

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The Guardian, 21st May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk