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Legal aid & a welcome U-turn

09 March 2017 / Dr Jon Robins
Issue: 7737 / Categories: Opinion
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Roll on the LASPO review; but adjust your expectations accordingly, says Jon Robins

Theresa May’s plans to better protect the victims of domestic violence were presented to the world last month as part of a personal crusade on the part of Number 10. “Domestic violence and abuse is a life-shattering and absolutely abhorrent crime; tackling it is an key priority for this Government—and something I have always attached a personal importance to, both as Home Secretary and now as Prime Minister,” she told the press.

Any reforms that will flow from the promised 18-month review will build on measures the Prime Minister introduced as Home Secretary, such as the new offence of controlling and coercive behaviour, domestic violence protection orders, and the domestic violence disclosure scheme. According to Theresa May, they would “ensure that no stone will be left unturned” in delivering a system that increased convictions and worked better for victims.

At first sight it might seem strange that one significant and long campaigned for change to better improve the lot

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gilson Gray—Paul Madden

Gilson Gray—Paul Madden

Partner appointed to head international insolvency and dispute resolution for England

Brachers—Gill Turner Tucker

Brachers—Gill Turner Tucker

Kent firm expands regional footprint through strategic acquisition

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan—William Charles

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan—William Charles

Financial disputes and investigations specialist joins as partner in London

NEWS
Ministers’ proposals to raise funds by seizing interest on lawyers’ client account schemes could ‘cause firms to close’, solicitors have warned
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has not done enough to protect the future sustainability of the legal aid market, MPs have warned
Writing in NLJ this week, NLJ columnist Dominic Regan surveys a landscape marked by leapfrog appeals, costs skirmishes and notable retirements. With an appeal in Mazur due to be heard next month, Regan notes that uncertainties remain over who will intervene, and hopes for the involvement of the Lady Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls in deciding the all-important outcome
After the Southport murders and the misinformation that followed, contempt of court law has come under intense scrutiny. In this week's NLJ, Lawrence McNamara and Lauren Schaefer of the Law Commission unpack proposals aimed at restoring clarity without sacrificing fair trial rights
The latest Home Office figures confirm that stop and search remains both controversial and diminished. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort University analyses data showing historically low use of s 1 PACE powers, with drugs searches dominating what remains
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