Legal aid deserts
The Express gives its take on our legal aids deserts research.
Law Society of England and Wales president I. Stephanie Boyce said: "Our analysis shows people on lower incomes who face terrifying legal issues from domestic abuse to homelessness or who need to challenge inadequate care or education from their local authority increasingly can't get the expert legal advice to which they are entitled."
Read about our legal aid deserts campaign
No more cuts warning
The Gazette covers the Law Society's submission to the spending review consultation in which we urged the government to – at the very least – maintain current spending on justice.
Stephanie Boyce said: "Legal services are an economic powerhouse contributing £60bn to the UK economy and supporting the employment of more than half a million people – or 1.1.% of the UK labour force.
"Legal services are central to the success of the levelling up agenda. The advice solicitors give to small businesses makes local economies tick; legal services ensure good quality jobs are created for people from all corners of the UK; and they give ordinary people access to the power of the law to take control of their lives."
Meanwhile, at a conference event on the Tory fringe alongside the Bar and attended by the solicitor general, I. Stephanie Boyce said: "In order to allow the legal sector to play its part in levelling up the country the government must at minimum commit to maintaining current levels of spending on the justice system.
"While it may be tempting to seek efficiencies in justice spending, the reality is that the majority of the burden of any cuts will fall on small and medium-sized towns and rural areas that are already comparatively underserved by the infrastructure of the justice system."
Further reporting in the Gazette
Australia trade deal
Solicitors Journal takes an in depth look at the trade deal with Australia and how it will affect legal services. It cites a 2020 event where Stephen Denyer, the Law Society's head of strategic relationships, and Catherine Brims, the Law Society's international policy adviser for North Asia and the Pacific, participated in an Anglo-Australasian Lawyers' Society (UK Chapter) panel discussion on what a trade deal would mean for lawyers.
SQE loans
The Gazette reports our call to the government for a loan scheme for people undertaking the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).
"The Law Society recommended the introduction of a publicly funded loan scheme for SQE candidates, similar to the 'professional career development' loans that were available to students on the Legal Practice Course before the scheme was discontinued," it reports.
Ethical implications of AI
Artificial Lawyer looks at some of the challenges thrown up by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and what can be learnt from the automotive industry. The article cites the Law Society.
Weakening check on power
Our concerns about weakening the checks on power provided by judicial review are cited by a Guardian columnist.
Blaming the defence
Stephanie Boyce's retort to Boris Johnson's attempt to blame defence solicitors for low levels of rape convictions was reported in the Evening Standard and then relayed by Yahoo News
She said the prime minister's claim was "just plain wrong and surprising, given the very different conclusions reached in the UK government's own Rape Review".
She said: "The tiny number of rape cases that get as far as a charge is nothing to do with defence lawyers.
"They are also not responsible for years of underfunding and cuts including court closures, caps on judicial sitting days and a lack of investment in legal aid which have stretched the criminal justice system to breaking point."
Also worth a read:
- Queen's lawyers acted for politician now accused by US – Guardian
- Building up north – Gove's levelling up plan - Guardian
- Inflation to cost families £1,800 - Mail