header-logo header-logo

All for one, & one for all?

10 November 2017 / David Greene
Issue: 7769 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Profession
printer mail-detail

Post Unison , the government, the courts & the profession are all looking at the issue of access to justice & what it means to ensure it’s a reality, says David Greene

Remarkably, access to justice has become a topic to discuss again and perhaps there is a mood change in those discussions away from the penury that has been meted out to both civil and criminal justice over the past 10 years.

The Supreme Court started the latest round of debate in July with its ground breaking judgment in R (Unison) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51. The bench took up the argument that many have sought to press for many years against the cuts in legal aid, some of the Jackson reforms and the increases in court fees, namely that the ability to access the justice process is not just for the good of the parties to a particular claim but for the good of society as a whole. The court commented that the view that the justice process only
If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
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
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
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
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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
back-to-top-scroll