header-logo header-logo

The right to justice & an agenda for change

06 October 2017 / Steve Hynes
Issue: 7764 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Profession
printer mail-detail
nlj_7764_hynes

Steve Hynes interviewed the former legal aid minister, Lord Bach (pictured), last month to discuss The Right to Justice , the final report from the Commission he chaired on access to justice policy

“The legislation we propose (The Right to Justice Act) will enshrine in statute the right to justice backed by an independent Justice Commission to enforce it.’ According to Bach the new Commission ‘would monitor how government departments work’ and act to prevent barriers to people being able to enforce their rights.

Aside from the new legislation the report calls for ‘urgent policy changes’ to address immediate crisis in the justice system. These include changes to eligibility criteria and broadening the scope of legal aid.

From 2008-10 Bach was the minister with responsibility for legal aid in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). In this post he says he realised how crucial access to early advice is to prevent legal problems escalating. Throughout the interview he would return to the theme of Social Welfare Law (SWL)—SWL is defined by

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
Bea Rossetto of the National Pro Bono Centre makes the case for ‘General Practice Pro Bono’—using core legal skills to deliver life-changing support, without the need for niche expertise—in this week's NLJ
Charlie Mercer and Astrid Gillam of Stewarts crunch the numbers on civil fraud claims in the English courts, in this week's NLJ. New data shows civil fraud claims rising steadily since 2014, with the King’s Bench Division overtaking the Commercial Court as the forum of choice for lower-value disputes
Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising the law, but its misuse could wreck cases and careers, warns Clare Arthurs of Penningtons Manches Cooper in this week's NLJ
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Rylatt and Robyn Laye of Anthony Gold Solicitors examine recent international relocation cases where allegations of domestic abuse shaped outcomes
back-to-top-scroll