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07 July 2017 / Steve Hynes
Issue: 7753 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Profession
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Justice denied revisited

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No other public service has suffered the same level of cuts as civil legal aid. Enough is enough, says Steve Hynes

Theresa May had a simply dreadful general election campaign and for many Jeremy Corbyn emerged the hero of the hour. The election result, an unexpected hung parliament, has changed the political calculations on what to expect next on legal policy.

Prison reform was one of the casualties of the slimmed down Queen’s Speech, but it looks like business as usual for the court reform programme. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been busy working away at the digital upgrade of the courts and the policy enjoys cross-party support. With the reduced commons majority the government might have to make some concessions around the legal advice available to support the public using the service. There is also likely to be a bitter fight over their proposals to reform the law on whiplash injuries.

While the prime minister managed to get the Queen’s Speech agreed, a confident Labour opposition is arguing that the government

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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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