Bar Council: Parliament Should Heed Experts’ Warnings on Legal Aid Changes – The Bar Council

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has written to MPs to voice serious concerns about the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, which is scheduled for its second reading in the House of Commons tomorrow afternoon.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 28th June 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Mounting concerns over legal aid cuts – BBC News

Posted June 29th, 2011 in budgets, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“The government’s plans to cut legal aid in England and Wales return to Parliament later as opposition mounts from lawyers and campaigners.”

Full story

BBC News, 29th June 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

One nasty surprise in the legal aid bill escaped the headlines – The Guardian

Posted June 28th, 2011 in bills, fees, legal aid, legal representation, news, personal injuries by sally

“The bill all but removes sweeteners introduced in the 1990s when legal aid was abolished in most personal injury claims.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th June 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid reform could end right to a free solicitor – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2011 in budgets, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“A ‘cornerstone’ of the legal system, the universal right to a solicitor upon arrest, could be jettisoned in favour of means-testing under controversial plans drawn up by the Ministry of Justice.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th June 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Squatters should not be occupying legal aid arguments – The Guardian

“The biggest winding back of access to justice in the legal aid system’s history is not getting the attention it deserves.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd June 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council: Access to Justice will be Systematically Deprived by Legal Aid Proposals – The Bar Council

Posted June 22nd, 2011 in budgets, legal aid, legal representation, litigants in person, news by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today warned that access to justice will be systematically deprived as the Government published the response to its legal aid consultation.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 21st June 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Kenneth Clarke’s legal aid cuts deemed a ‘slap in the face’ for ordinary families – The Guardian

Posted June 22nd, 2011 in budgets, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“Liberty director says justice secretary’s £350m budget cut leaves only footballers and criminal defendants able to get legal advice.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st June 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Humberstone) v Legal Services Commission (Lord Chancellor intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted January 4th, 2011 in inquests, law reports, legal representation by sally

Regina (Humberstone) v Legal Services Commission (Lord Chancellor intervening) [2010] EWCA Civ 1479; [2010] WLR (D) 346

“The state’s obligation to conduct an effective investigation into a death (with the associated possible necessity to provide representation) did not arise in all cases where a death occurred while the deceased was in the care of the state but only in a much narrower range of cases where it was arguable that the state had breached its substantive obligations under art 2 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”

WLR Daily, 22nd December 2010

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Legal aid backlog leaves some defendants unrepresented – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 16th, 2010 in legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“Delays in processing legal aid applications are leaving some defendants in London’s Crown and magistrates’ courts unrepresented, criminal solicitors have warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 16th December 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Regina (Secretary of State for the Home Department) v Assistant Deputy Coroner for Inner West London – WLR Daily

Posted December 2nd, 2010 in evidence, inquests, law reports, legal representation, public interest by sally

Regina (Secretary of State for the Home Department) v Assistant Deputy Coroner for Inner West London
[2010] EWHC 3098 (Admin); [2010] WLR (D) 305

“A coroner did not have power to receive sensitive evidence relating to the security service in a closed hearing in the absence of properly interested persons and their legal representatives.”

WLR Daily, 1st December 2010

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Cadder v HM Advocate (HM Advocate General for Scotland and JUSTICE intervening) – WLR Daily

Cadder v HM Advocate (HM Advocate General for Scotland and JUSTICE intervening) [2010] UKSC 43 SC; [2010] WLR(D) 268

“An accused’s rights would, in principle, be irretrievably prejudiced if incriminating statements made during police interrogation without access to a lawyer were admitted in evidence at trial. Accordingly, s 14 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 should be read and given effect so as to preclude the admission of such evidence, unless in the particular circumstances of the case there had been compelling reasons for restricting access to a lawyer.”

WLR Daily, 26th October 2010

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Baby P mother denied inquest representation funding – BBC News

Posted September 22nd, 2010 in inquests, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“Baby Peter’s mother and her boyfriend have been denied public funding to be represented at any resumed inquest into the child’s death.”

Full story

BBC News, 21st September 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Quality of legal aid is as important as access to a lawyer – The Guardian

Posted September 20th, 2010 in legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“Justice for vulnerable clients can be frustrated when lawyers are not up to the job.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th September 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid is in tatters and only long-term thinking can mend it – The Guardian

Posted August 19th, 2010 in asylum, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“The legal aid budget for asylum seekers is bloated because poor and rushed decisions are made early on – only radical reform, not cuts, can trim the bill.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th August 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts put access to justice at risk, say lawyers – The Guardian

Posted August 17th, 2010 in law firms, legal aid, legal representation, legal services, news, tenders by sally

“Thousands of the most vulnerable people risk being denied emergency access to free advice from lawyers following major changes to the way legal aid is delivered, family law experts warn today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th august 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Call for ‘urgent action’ on children’s services – Law Society’s Gazette

“A group of 18 legal, medical and child care organisations has called for urgent action to reform the delivery of court services to children in family proceedings.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 5th August 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid clients left in limbo after payment changes – BBC News

Posted August 5th, 2010 in asylum, immigration, legal aid, legal representation, legal services, news by sally

“Hundreds of lawyers no longer advise vulnerable clients as changes in legal aid payments have forced many to abandon the work, the BBC has learned.”

Full story

BBC News, 5th August 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Solicitor General: speech to the ALBA summer conference – Attorney General’s Office

“New Solicitor General Edward Garnier QC MP addresses the Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association about the role of the Law Officers.”

Full speech

Attorney General’s Office, 17th July 2010

Soruce: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Refugee and Migrant Justice clients lose High Court bid – Law Society’s Gazette

“The High Court has rejected a bid to allow collapsed immigration advice charity Refugee and Migrant Justice to carry on representing its clients until their cases are transferred to other firms.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 7th July 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Funding crisis over legal aid threatens UK asylum chaos, ministers are warned – The Guardian

Posted June 1st, 2010 in asylum, children, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“The government has been warned of impending chaos in the asylum system if a body representing the rights of people fleeing persecution and violence is forced to close due to changes in the way legal aid is paid.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th May 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk