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

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll