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28 May 2007 / Richard Miller
Issue: 7279 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Profession
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Two cheers on three issues

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The LSC has shown a willingness to listen in key areas affecting legal aid provision, says Richard Miller

At a time when the Legal Services Commission (LSC) is under intense fire, it deserves credit where it shows a willingness to listen and respond constructively to criticism. In three areas recently, the LSC has taken decisions that will benefit clients and firms alike.

SPECIALIST SUPPORT SAVED

Last year, the LSC unexpectedly announced that it was terminating the Specialist Support Service. This service enabled front-line advisers to phone an expert in social welfare law fields if they had a client with a problem that went beyond their capabilities. The specialist could assist the front-line adviser by explaining the law and guiding the adviser through the case; or if necessary, the specialist could take over the matter. In addition, the specialists were funded to provide training to enable more advisers to identify and advise on social welfare law problems. This was widely regarded as a valuable service, particularly to help address the growing problem

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Sponsored by
London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

Fieldfisher partner appointed president as LSLA marks milestone year

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Firm promotes two lawyers to partnership across employment and family

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Firm promotes five lawyers to partnership across key growth areas

NEWS
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NLJ this week: Divorce ‘nuclear weapon’ freezes assets but entangles outsiders
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
NLJ this week: What counts as ‘rent’? Court says labour alone won’t do
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
Your magistrates’ court needs you!
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
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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