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24 July 2009
Issue: 7379 / Categories: Legal News , Family
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Every family matters

Access to justice must be a priority for the government, according to a report from the Centre for Social Justice.

Every Family Matters, a report by the centre, which is chaired by the former leader of the Conservative Party, Iain Duncan Smith MP, focuses on the breakdown of family life in the UK and the way this is addressed by the legal system.

It recommends that budgets for family legal aid be ringfenced, that banks be encouraged to promote more finance for family law litigation and the courts given powers to grant interim lump sums to help with these costs.

The report states: “Access to legal advice is an integral part of family law and without it the courts will be cluttered in a way which will inevitably lead to significant delay and real risks of injustice....expenditure on this important public service is plainly low and especially in comparison with other similar services.”

Lucy Theis QC, chairman of the Family Law Bar Association, said: “The Family Bar works incredibly hard for its clients and is being

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft strengthens Scottish real estate capabilitywith partner appointment

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Brendan Ryan as partner in Public Law Projects team

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers welcomes five new barristers

NEWS
Pro bono is celebrating a silver anniversary, with initiatives putting businesses and students at the heart of access to justice
Choosing the wrong expert can cost a clinical negligence claimant more than their case
Judges risk weakening their own independence by staying silent over government reforms, a leading public lawyer argues
A discount on damages does not automatically mean an equivalent haircut for legal costs in military deafness claims
Police powers targeting concealed identities at protests come with procedural conditions that could determine whether prosecutions succeed
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