Exeter lawyer’s anti-legal aid tendering petition signed by 24,000 – BBC News

Posted May 1st, 2013 in competition, criminal justice, fees, legal aid, news, tenders by sally

“A petition against proposed changes to criminal legal aid set up by an Exeter-based solicitor has attracted more than 24,000 signatures.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tour Report #21: Podcast with Michael Turner QC, Chairman of The Criminal Bar Association, on the legal aid reforms – Charon QC

Posted April 30th, 2013 in barristers, judiciary, law firms, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

“Michael Turner QC has robust views on the proposed reforms which will have a considerable impact on access to justice, the profession, the public and have a devastating effect on the very cornerstone of our democracy.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 30th April 2013

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

Legal aid: Lawyers in Wales agree strike action – BBC News

Posted April 29th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, consultations, industrial action, legal aid, news, Wales by tracey

“Lawyers in Wales have agreed to strike over UK government proposals to reform criminal legal aid. The Wales and Chester Circuit of Barristers has voted unanimously to refuse to sign up to a new system regulating the quality of criminal lawyers in England and Wales.”

Full story

BBC News, 28th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New legal aid reforms end ‘justice for all’, lawyers warn – The Independent

“England’s 800-year-old tradition of fair and open access to justice for all will
be destroyed by sweeping Government plans to reform criminal legal aid, senior
judges and magistrates warn today.”

Full story

The Independent, 28th April 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Revealed: Grayling’s plan to drive a wedge between bar and solicitors – Law Society’s Gazette

“Justice secretary Chris Grayling has sought to drive a wedge between solicitors and barristers over the drastic plans to cut criminal legal aid and restructure the market, the Gazette has learned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 25th April 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

McNally: ‘Access to justice’ doesn’t mean access to a lawyer – LegalVoice

Posted April 24th, 2013 in budgets, competition, human rights, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“It was time to ‘move on’ from the ‘bruising’ LASPO debate, the Lord McNally said yesterday. The legal aid minister told delegates at an event organised by the Westminster Legal Policy Forum that this month’s cuts would save £180m per annum alone. ‘Yet on the criminal side, we’re still spending £1 billion every year. A significant proportion of this spending is swallowed up by a few very high cost cases,’ the legal aid minister added.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 24th April 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

The Future of Legal Aid – Why we Need to Act Now – Garden Court Chambers Blog

Posted April 24th, 2013 in budgets, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“Connor Johnston, co-chair of the Young Legal Aid Lawyers, discusses the latest threats to legal aid.”

Full story

Garden Court Chambers Blog, 24th April 2013

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

Implementing a new framework for legal aid – Ministry of Justice

Posted April 24th, 2013 in advocacy, budgets, competition, legal aid, news by sally

“The Government wants to reduce unnecessary costs and make sure that legal aid helps those who need it the most.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 23rd April 2013

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

Update from the Chairman: legal aid consultation – The Bar Council

Posted April 23rd, 2013 in barristers, consultations, fees, legal aid, news by sally

“Bar Council met on Saturday 20 April, for the first time since the consultation was published. It was attended by all the Circuit Leaders and the Criminal Bar Association’s Chairman and Vice-Chairman.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 23rd April 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

15 trials and 42 court hearings adjourned as barristers boycott crown courts in protest at plans to slash legal aid bill – The Independent

Posted April 23rd, 2013 in barristers, Crown Court, demonstrations, industrial action, legal aid, news by sally

“More than 400 barristers boycotted crown courts in northern England today in what was described as the first militant action against Government plans to slash the criminal legal aid bill by millions.”

Full story

The Independent, 22nd April 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Briton Lindsay Sandiford challenges government refusal to fund appeal against Bali drug smuggling death sentence – The Independent

“Lawyers for British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford today launched an urgent new legal challenge over a UK Government refusal to fund her appeal against a death sentence imposed by an Indonesian court after she was found guilty of drug smuggling.”

Full story

The Independent, 22nd April 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Criminal legal aid cuts prompt protest by northern lawyers – The Guardian

“Hundreds of barristers and solicitors are holding an all-day protest meeting against government plans to cut criminal legal aid and end defendants’ right to choose their lawyer.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The new model – New Law Journal

Posted April 22nd, 2013 in budgets, internet, legal aid, legal representation, litigants in person, news by sally

“Labour’s Lord Bach fought a good deal harder in the House of Lords to defend legal aid from the coalition’s cuts than many of his colleagues. But, the key provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 are now in force. Civil legal aid will never again have the comprehensive coverage that once it did: in particular, partners whose relationships break down are going to have a particularly hard time. No government, realistically, is going to restart funding at past levels. What can be done to assist the women who are most likely to be the major victims of these cuts?”

Full story

New Law Journal, 18th April 2013

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

‘The legal status of prisoners in this country is a mark of its humanity’ – LegalVoice

“On 4 April, a matter of days after the cuts to civil legal aid were brought into effect, Chris Grayling has announced the Government’s intention to cut legal aid for prisoners seeking to bring proceedings for judicial review of decisions relating to their treatment or the conditions of their confinement. He complains that £4 million pounds in legal aid is spent annually on such complaints and says that they can be perfectly adequately dealt with by the internal prison complaints system. His justification for the cuts makes neither financial nor constitutional sense and begs the question, what are his true motives?”

Full story

LegalVoice, 18th April 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Fourth pillar of the welfare state – Garden Court Chambers Blog

Posted April 17th, 2013 in benefits, budgets, legal aid, news by sally

“On April 1 cuts of £350 million from the legal aid budget of £2.1 billion came into effect.”

Full story

Garden Court Chambers Blog, 16th April 2013

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

Legal aid cuts: law centres must not be allowed to die – The Guardian

Posted April 16th, 2013 in law centres, legal aid, news by sally

“In the early 1970s I was practising in a solicitors’ firm in Gray’s Inn but I was also a Labour councillor in the London Borough of Camden. Interest was growing in the development of law centres. I had myself been one of the members of the Society of Labour Lawyers who had written a Fabian pamphlet – ‘Justice for All’ in 1968. It argued for a national network of such centres, one of which, in Notting Hill, had already been established with charitable funds. Another was proposed in Paddington with local authority support.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

How to calm the legal aid row – The Lawyer

Posted April 15th, 2013 in legal aid, news, proceeds of crime, restraint orders by sally

“Repeal section 41 (4) of the Proceeds of Crime Act to level the playing field and ease pressure on the public purse.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 15th April 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Transforming legal aid: a guide to defence tendering – LegalVoice

Posted April 11th, 2013 in competition, legal aid, news, public procurement, tenders by sally

“A guide to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on criminal legal aid reform (Transforming Legal Aid: Delivering a more credible and efficient system) and price competitive tendering published earlier this week.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 11th April 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Expert witness ruling a blow to children, Society warns – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 10th, 2013 in children, costs, expert witnesses, family courts, legal aid, news by sally

“Children involved in family law cases will face extra uncertainty following a High Court ruling on the funding of expert witnesses, the Law Society has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th April 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bar Council responds to MoJ legal aid announcements – The Bar Council

Posted April 10th, 2013 in advocacy, competition, criminal justice, legal aid, news by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has responded to today’s Ministry of Justice (‘MoJ’) announcement on legal aid.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 9th April

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk