Lindsay Sandiford case: Bali death row drugs trafficker review call – BBC News

‘The UK Supreme Court has called on the British government to review the case of a grandmother facing execution in Indonesia on drug charges.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar Council reveals preliminary findings of its impact of LASPO survey – The Bar Council

‘The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today presented its preliminary findings from a major survey conducted to assess the impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) 2012.’

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The Bar Council, 12th July 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Unintended consequences of family justice reform – Family Law Week

‘Byron James, barrister, Fourteen considers some of the less publicised consequences of the reform of the family justice system.’

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Family Law Week, 27th June 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Legal aid child residence tests breach international rights, say MPs and peers – The Guardian

‘Depriving children of legal representation by introducing a residence test is in breach of their international rights, a parliamentary committee has warned.’

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The Guardian, 30th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Americhem Europe Ltd v Rakem Ltd (George Walker Transport Ltd, Part 20 defendant) – WLR Daily

Americhem Europe Ltd v Rakem Ltd (George Walker Transport Ltd, Part 20 defendant) [2014] EWHC 1881 (TCC); [2014] WLR (D) 270

‘A costs draftsman whose only involvement in a case consisted of preparing a costs budget and who did not give any form of legal advice or legally based representation was not a “senior legal representative” for the purposes of paragraph 6 of Practice Direction 3E on Costs Management.’

WLR Daily, 13th June 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Precedent H “irregularity” does not render it a nullity, High Court rules – Litigation Futures

‘It would be disproportionate and unjust to strike down a Precedent H budget that was signed by a firm’s in-house costs draftsman, rather than by a “senior legal representative”, the High Court has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 16th June 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court crisis warning as legal aid cuts trigger surge in parents fighting for child custody without lawyer – Daily Telegraph

‘Lawyers warn of ‘huge delays’ in family court cases as number of parents facing prospect of representing themselves jumps 48 per cent’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Drug smuggler Lindsay Sandiford takes death penalty case to UK supreme court – The Guardian

‘A British grandmother facing execution by firing squad in Indonesia for drug smuggling has no funds to mount a legal challenge against her sentence, the UK’s highest court has been told.’

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The Guardian, 4th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Fraud trial legal aid ruling overturned by appeal court – The Guardian

Posted May 21st, 2014 in appeals, barristers, budgets, costs, fraud, judges, legal aid, legal representation, news by tracey

‘A £4.5m fraud trial halted due to disputes over legal aid cuts has been restarted after the court of appeal ruled that the defendants could receive a fair trial.’

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The Guardian, 21st May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judges criticise impact of legal aid cuts – The Guardian

‘There has been a large increase in unrepresented claimants, outbreaks of courtroom violence, extra litigation and increased costs, according to senior judges who have criticised the impact of legal aid cuts in the family courts.’

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The Guardian, 14th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Serious fraud trial abandoned because of cuts to legal aid for defence representation – UK Human Rights Blog

‘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.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th May 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Operation Cotton – what next? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘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).’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 1st May 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Serious fraud trial halted amid legal row – BBC News

Posted May 1st, 2014 in barristers, fraud, legal aid, legal representation, news, trials by sally

‘A judge has halted a serious fraud trial after defendants claimed they could not get adequate representation because of cuts to legal aid.’

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BBC News, 1st May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Culture change’ needed to embrace fee-charging McKenzie friends – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Fee-charging McKenzie friends increase access to justice and make up a “legitimate feature of the modern legal market”, according to a report published today by watchdog the Legal Services Consumer Panel. The president of the Law Society described the panel’s findings as “worrying”.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th April 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid cuts: six lawyers on why they will damage our justice system – The Guardian

‘Why have lawyers taken to the streets to protest against legal aid cuts? Self-interest or because they care about the havoc they see being wrought on our legal system?’

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The Guardian, 1st April 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts leave family courts in chaos, experts say – The Guardian

‘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.’

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The Guardian, 29th March 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina v Achogbuo – WLR Daily

‘An application for permission to appeal against a conviction on grounds of previous incompetent representation by solicitors or counsel should not be made without taking proper steps to inquire whether there was a cogent objective basis for the proposed ground of appeal. It was impermissible to rely alone on the word of the defendant.’

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WLR Daily, 19th March 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Grieve acts on judge’s plea over unrepresented defendants – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 7th, 2014 in amicus curiae, criminal justice, legal representation, news by tracey

‘The attorney general’s office has confirmed that Dominic Grieve QC has appointed an amicus curiae to assist the court on legal argument expected to be made on behalf of defendants facing trial without representation in court.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 7th March 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Further torment – New Law Journal

‘Rosalyn Akar Grams reviews the impact of LASPO on the provision of quality legal representation for survivors of torture, as part of an exclusive NLJ online series on legal aid post-LASPO.’

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New Law Journal, 19th February 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Beeres v. The CPS – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted March 3rd, 2014 in appeals, assault, domestic violence, evidence, legal representation, news, police by sally

‘Anita Beeres was convicted of assault for beating her partner John Leeson with a baseball bat during an argument at her home. Mr Leeson himself did not complain nor did he give evidence. (History does not relate how then Ms Beeres was arrested.) The only evidence against Ms Beeres was her confession, first at the time of her arrest and then again when interviewed at the police station.’

Full story

Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 28th February 2014

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk