Education review comes out for ‘incremental’ reform – Law Society’s Gazette

“Legal education and training is not ‘fundamentally broken’ but is failing to ensure consistent levels of quality across the profession, a long-awaited pan-profession report says today.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 25th June 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

A United Profession – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted June 24th, 2013 in barristers, demonstrations, legal aid, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“John Cooper QC on the allied opposition to the legal aid cuts.”

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Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 22nd June 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

Bar chief calls for royal commission – Law Society’s Gazette

“More than two decades after the Runciman Commission was set up following high-profile miscarriages of justice, the chairman of the Bar Council has called for a royal commission to conduct a root-and-branch review of the criminal justice system.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 24th June 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Good lawyers save money’: Supreme Court President weighs in on Legal Aid – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 20th, 2013 in costs, judges, judicial review, judiciary, legal aid, legal profession, news, speeches by sally

“According to the President of the Supreme Court, the judiciary not only has a right but an obligation ‘to speak out on matters concerning the rule of law.’ In recent months, it is a duty from which Lord Neuberger has not shirked, and last night’s lecture to the Institute of Government was no exception. Its focus was the importance of legal aid, which Neuberger described through the prism of the UK’s constitutional set-up and the respective roles of the legislature, executive and judiciary within it.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 19th June 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judges and Policy: A Delicate Balance – Speech by Lord Neuberger

Judges and Policy: A Delicate Balance (PDF)

Speech by Lord Neuberger

Institute for Government, 18th June 2013

Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk

Lessons from eBay, cases without hearings and a divided profession: Neuberger assesses the law – Litigation Futures

“The court system ‘may well have something to learn from online dispute resolution on eBay and elsewhere’, the president of the Supreme Court has suggested.”

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Litigation Futures, 19th June 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Legal aid cuts will drive out the best lawyers, supreme court president warns – The Guardian

“Reforms may not produce significant savings as it would result in more unrepresented litigants and longer hearings, says Lord Neuberger.”

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The Guardian, 18th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal profession must do more to improve ethnic diversity, says Supreme Court president – The Independent

Posted June 19th, 2013 in equality, judiciary, legal profession, minorities, news by sally

“The UK’s top judge has acknowledged that the senior judiciary is monolithic and there are not enough members of ethnic minorities represented.”

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The Independent, 18th June 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Part-time partners: why the legal profession is changing – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2013 in law firms, legal profession, news, part-time work, partnerships, women by sally

“Only 9.4% of equity partners in law firms are women, despite equal numbers of men and women entering the profession.”

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The Guardian, 18th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A gray new world – LegalVoice

“‘This is a derisory document’. Thus, Professor Roger Smith described the MoJ’s paper on Transforming Legal Aid, when he gave evidence to the Select Committee for Justice last Tuesday. The most senior members of the legal profession gave evidence about the potential impact of the proposals. The President of the Law Society, and the chairs of the Bar Council, Criminal Bar Association, and Criminal Law Solicitors Association all agreed that, if the Minister has his way, the criminal justice system will be irreparably harmed. The MoJ plans to introduce these changes by secondary legislation, although more than 90,000 signatories to an e-petition (Save UK Justice) have now called for a full debate in Parliament.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 17th June 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Ministry of Justice plans to cut court services trigger strikes – The Guardian

“Court staff are being called out on strike on Monday amid growing opposition to the Ministry of Justice’s proposals to contract out services, cut legal aid and limit the use of judicial review.”

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The Guardian, 13th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lawyers In Revolt – BBC Law in Action

“Will the Ministry of Justice back down over cuts to legal aid? Radio 4’s legal magazine follows the bitter dispute between the profession and the government.

This week, Maura McGowan QC of the Bar Council is in the studio with Joshua Rozenberg, making the lawyers’ case. But is she right that the legal profession will be undermined? Lord McNally responds for the government.”

Listen

BBC Law in Action, 11th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lawyers block road outside Ministry of Justice in protest against legal aid cuts – The Guardian

“Lawyers waving placards and chanting blocked the road outside the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday evening in protest over proposals to slice a further £220m out of criminal legal aid and remove defendants’ ability to choose a solicitor.”

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The Guardian, 4th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Growing amount of legal work can be “de-lawyered”, says LSB director – Legal Futures

“A growing amount of legal work could be ‘de-lawyered’ and provided by organisations that offer a wide range of legal and non-legal services, the strategy director of the Legal Services Board (LSB) has suggested.”

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Legal Futures, 4th June 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.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

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

Lawyers warn privatisation of courts could damage City’s status as disputes centre – Legal Week

Posted May 31st, 2013 in courts, dispute resolution, legal profession, London, news by sally

“City lawyers have warned that London’s status as an international litigation centre will come under threat should the Government push ahead with proposals to privatise the courts service.”

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Legal Week, 31st May 2013

Source: www.legalweek.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

Culture change needed at BSB, says super-regulator – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 29th, 2013 in barristers, legal profession, news, reports by sally

“The Bar Standards Board will encounter ‘significant challenges’ in emulating the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s move to outcomes-focused regulation, a report by the super-regulator has concluded.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 29th May 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

BSB’s regulatory assessment: the challenge of change – Legal Services Board

“The Legal Services Board publishes today its assessment of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) performance in the legal services sector. This performance review of the BSB’s regulatory functions represents a baseline on which future regulatory performance can be judged. It also reinforces the continuing importance the LSB attaches to improving regulatory performance. ”

Full story (PDF)

Legal Services Board, 29th May 2013

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk