Legal aid focus

Go to page of 46

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) recently launched (under the previous Lord Chancellor) a ‘one-stop shop’ online information tool offering key statistics on prisons, probation and the courts.

The Ministry of Justice’s ‘one-stop shop’ for data is a promising start, but nowhere near a finished result, says Roger Smith

Criminal law solicitors could follow the Bar’s example and down tools following justice secretary Dominic Raab’s final response to the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Legal Aid Agency and Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab, have announced that solicitors will see a further £21m investment in fees and long-term reforms and an extra £138m will be spent annually on legal aid ‘to ensure long-term sustainability’.

The justice budget suffered a ‘real terms cut’ in the Autumn Statement this week, lawyers have warned, despite Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s pledge to protect public services.

Budget cuts, LASPO’s ten-year legacy and recent political decisions have devastated access to justice, according to a major piece of research by the Bar Council.

The Justice Committee will be examining the future of legal aid for criminal defence solicitors on Tuesday 14 November, when it takes evidence from representatives of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association and the Law Society.

The Law Society has warned that the government’s stance on criminal legal aid is driving solicitors to consider unionising to take direct action, following the barrister strike action earlier this year.

The cost-of-living crisis provided a focus for this year’s Pro Bono Week, with lawyers attending a wide range of events.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that around 20,000 people facing debt difficulties will be invited to receive free early-stage legal advice through a new pilot launched by the government on 31 October 2022.

Show

Results

Go to page of 46

E-newsletter Sign-Up

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS

Read All

NLJ this week: Big tech for small firms

Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs

NLJ this week: Presumption of capacity reaffirmed

The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination

NLJ this week: Justice delayed, justice denied

Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly

NLJ this week: The road ahead for employment rights

Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ

NLJ this week: SLAPPed shut?

From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics

Error message

Legal aid focus

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Keoghs—four appointments

Brabners—Ben Lamb