Legal aid focus

Peter Kandler’s honorary KC marks long-overdue recognition of a man who helped prise open a closed legal world. In NLJ this week, Roger Smith, columnist and former director of JUSTICE, traces how Kandler founded the UK’s first law centre in 1970, challenging a profession that was largely seen as 'fixers for the rich and apologists for criminals'

The Ministry of Justice is once again in the dock as access to justice continues to deteriorate. NLJ consultant editor David Greene warns in this week's issue that neither public legal aid nor private litigation funding looks set for a revival in 2026

Will access to justice gain a much-needed boost in 2026? David Greene fears that the signs are not looking promising

Free legal advice services are on track to receive a £3.9m bonanza arising from the ‘boundary fares’ settlement

The extension of fixed recoverable costs (FRC) from low-value personal injury to most civil cases worth up to £100,000 ‘is failing to deliver what it promised’, the Law Society has warned

Bar campaigns will focus on protecting juries, legal aid and children’s rights in the year ahead with a working group already looking into the age of criminal responsibility, chair Kirsty Brimelow KC has said

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has not done enough to protect the future sustainability of the legal aid market, MPs have warned

The London Legal Support Trust (LLST) is kicking off 2026 with a fresh call to action—inviting supporters to get active while helping to secure access to justice for those who need it most

Family legal aid barristers are so overworked and underpaid that many would leave the sector ‘in a heartbeat’, according to a Bar Council report

Legal aid lawyers have welcomed increased fees for criminal, housing and immigration work