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Fig leaves & failings

Jo Renshaw reports on the impact of LASPO on those rooted in publicly-funded work as part of an exclusive NLJ online series on legal aid

Sometimes it is hard to believe that a year has passed since the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) came into effect. Other times it is equally hard to remember “the good old days” pre-LASPO when you were able to pop down and actually assist the desperate client in reception with her belongings packed neatly in two carrier bags by her side.

The impact of LASPO has been so profound and so far-reaching, it is difficult to know where to start. This short piece will concentrate on the area I know best—immigration—but, as a partner of a firm which has its roots in publicly-funded work, I will also look at the impact of LASPO on our business and our prospects for survival as we face what in fact may be our most difficult challenge—the second year in.

The invisible ones

This

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NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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