header-logo header-logo

02 March 2023
Categories: Legal News , Profession , Criminal , Legal aid focus
printer mail-detail

LNB NEWS: Law Society takes government to court on criminal legal aid decision

The Law Society of England and Wales has applied to the High Court for permission to challenge the government’s decision not to increase criminal defence solicitors’ legal aid rates by the recommended minimum 15% as it is unlawful, irrational, and has affected access to justice.

Lexis®Library update: The Law Society President, Lubna Shuja, has said that the Law Society plans to challenge the government's failure to address the collapse of the criminal legal aid sector due to underfunding.

Shuja has also added that duty solicitors, who are imperative to the justice system, have been affected by the lack of funding, with more than half of firms having left since 2007 and over 1,000 duty solicitors having left since 2017. Likewise, it has affected backlogged courts, access to justice and has caused delays in police stations.

Sources:

This content was first published by LNB News / Lexis®Library, a LexisNexis® company, on 1 March 2023 and is published with permission. Further information can be found at: www.lexisnexis.co.uk.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

mfg Solicitors—Hayley Pearce & Lauren Williams

mfg Solicitors—Hayley Pearce & Lauren Williams

Law firm mfg Solicitors announces promotions at Ludlow office

Womble Bond Dickinson—Richard Sharpe

Womble Bond Dickinson—Richard Sharpe

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints partner in Leeds residential team

Brabners—six promotions

Brabners—six promotions

Brabners adds six to partnership in record year for partner promotions

NEWS
Bill disputes between solicitors and clients should be dealt with by an online portal rather than sent to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) has argued
MPs have warned of an ‘unacceptably high risk of miscarriages of justice’ due to a lack of legal aid and increasing levels of self-representation
The government is considering restricting judicial review challenges against housing schemes, motorways and other major planning applications
Damages-based agreements (DBAs), also known as contingency fees, could be allowed for opt-out collective actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal
Couples could legally marry almost anywhere, from canal boats to cruise ships at sea, under proposals launched last week
back-to-top-scroll