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Civil legal aid: comparing & repairing

27 March 2024
Issue: 8065 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice , Legal aid focus
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The government has pinpointed four initiatives for investigation, after comparing civil legal aid systems in other jurisdictions

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) report, Review of civil legal aid: comparative analysis of legal aid systems, published last week, analysed delivery in Australia, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, the USA and Scotland.

The MoJ aims to examine a US initiative—enabling cross-government collaboration in resolving issues—and three initiatives from the Netherlands, a ‘tiered model’ for triaging and prioritising cases, building trust and autonomy between oversight bodies and providers, and feedback loops for continuous improvement.

It identified ten principles for effective provision, including long-term funding and investing in early intervention.

Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: ‘The report rightly recognises that “technology is not a panacea when it comes to legal aid”.

‘While technology offers the opportunity to provide people with more ways to get legal advice, there is no substitute for the face-to-face services that are particularly vital for those who are digitally excluded, complex cases or those involving people with particular vulnerabilities.’

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Charles Russell Speechlys—Gustina Singgih

Charles Russell Speechlys—Gustina Singgih

Corporate team in London welcomes new partner

Church Court Chambers—Maria Karaiskos KC

Church Court Chambers—Maria Karaiskos KC

Historic appointment of chambers' first female head

Wright Hassall—five promotions

Wright Hassall—five promotions

Firm announces five promotions, including new partner

NEWS
Proposed legislation to tighten the rules on pooled client accounts would place ‘substantial’ burdens on solicitors, the Law Society has warned
Increasing numbers of family mediators are cutting back on legal aid work or leaving the sector altogether due to low fees—creating a supply shortfall for low-income families
Lawyers acting in cases funded by damages-based agreements (DBAs) cannot claim their share of the damages if no damages are awarded, the High Court has clarified
Lawyers have given a cautious welcome to a Ministry of Justice decision to increase Crown Court sitting days
Barristers have been targeted with death threats, rape threats, threats to their family members, physical surveillance and threats from politicians, chair of the Bar Barbara Mills KC has reported
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