header-logo header-logo

Barristers carrying out unpaid work

06 March 2024
Issue: 8062 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice
printer mail-detail
The Bar’s goodwill has been ‘taken for granted’, Bar Council chair Sam Townend KC has warned

The Bar’s response to the call for evidence for the government’s Review of Civil Legal Aid, which closed in February, highlighted an urgent need for increased investment in civil areas such as family, immigration and housing. It listed ‘significant amounts of unpaid work’ carried out by family barristers, such as additional conferences, the drafting of position statements, chronologies and written questions, due to the fee structure not keeping pace with changes in the work required.

The Bar urged the government to remove the means test for survivors of domestic abuse and reiterated its call for a reversal of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 cuts.

Townend said low fee income, ‘coupled with delayed payments, increasing demands for unpaid work, and the difficult nature of cases,’ was causing practitioners to leave legal aid work.

Issue: 8062 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

1 Hare Court—Peter Mitchell KC & Amber Sheridan

1 Hare Court—Peter Mitchell KC & Amber Sheridan

Leading family law set strengthens ranks with high-profile additions

Thackray Williams—Jennifer Nicol

Thackray Williams—Jennifer Nicol

Firm bolsters commercial team with senior employment partner hire

Irwin Mitchell—Vijay Bange

Irwin Mitchell—Vijay Bange

Head of construction and engineering team appointed

NEWS
Writing in NLJ this week, Kelvin Rutledge KC of Cornerstone Barristers and Genevieve Screeche-Powell of Field Court Chambers examine the Court of Appeal’s rejection of a discrimination challenge to Tower Hamlets’ housing database
Michael Zander KC, Emeritus Professor at LSE, tracks the turbulent passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill through the House of Lords in this week's issue of NLJ. Two marathon debates drew contributions from nearly 200 peers, split between support, opposition and conditional approval
Alistair Mills of Landmark Chambers reflects on the Human Rights Act 1998 a quarter-century after it came into force, in this week's issue of NLJ
In his latest Civil Way column for NLJ, Stephen Gold surveys a raft of procedural changes and quirky disputes shaping civil practice. His message is clear: civil practitioners must brace for continual tweaks, unexpected contentions and rising costs in everyday litigation
Barbara Mills KC, chair of the Bar 2025 and joint head of chambers at 4PB, sets out in this week's NLJ how the profession will respond to Baroness Harriet Harman KC’s review into bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct at the Bar
back-to-top-scroll