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27 June 2013 / Roger Smith
Issue: 7566 / Categories: Opinion
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Rare rays of sunshine

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The legal forecast is pretty gloomy, with the occasional sunny spell, says Roger Smith

No doubt about the big legal issue of the moment: cuts to legal aid and the problems of public funding. Events have not been without humour. The Socialist Workers Party turned up with a stall and helpful banners to support the demonstration of lawyers outside the Ministry of Justice. It turns out that “the first thing we do is we kill all the lawyers” is a Shakespearian quote rather than a Marxist doctrine.

Justice committee

The grand panjandrums of the legal profession were summonsed to the House of Commons Justice Committee to give evidence on the latest government proposals for cuts to legal aid. The most impressive was Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, the Law Society president, who has considerable experience of legal aid in mental health cases. Luckily for the Bar, its current leaders are less plummy than some in the past. Michael Turner QC, who actually started in law centres, led for the Criminal Bar Association and Maura McGowan, current

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A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
NLJ this week: Freed but failed—justice system leaves the innocent empty-handed
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
NLJ this week: Clarity on whistleblowing, settlements and tribunal limits
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
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Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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