Unacceptable court delays
There's more coverage of the Public Accounts Committee report questioning the UK government's 'modest ambition' for cutting Crown Court outstanding cases to 53,000.
Law Society of England and Wales president I. Stephanie Boyce is quoted by City A.M and New Law Journal saying the report "echoes the concerns we have long been raising about the backlog plaguing our criminal courts which is leaving victims and defendants waiting too long to get the justice they deserve".
"Years of underinvestment and cuts mean there is a real risk that the capacity is simply not there in terms of solicitors and barristers, as well as judges, to do the large volume of work necessary to clear the backlog in a meaningful fashion.
"Investment is needed now across the entire criminal justice system, starting with the immediate implementation of the 15 per cent increase in criminal legal aid rates recommended in Sir Christopher Bellamy's Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid."
Also in Today's Wills and Probate.
Sanctions and the legal profession
Anna Bradshaw, of our EU committee, is quoted in an article on sanctions in the Times (£) legal pages. Responding to the suggestion lawyers are hampering the implementation of sanctions against Moscow and against individual Russian, she says there is "no basis" for such an idea, adding lawyers do not see the basis for sanctions before they are imposed.
House theft
I. Stephanie Boyce is quoted in the Chronicle in the context of a new ITV drama which documents a character who has her house stolen. Also in the Daily Mirror.
Will add-ons
Gary Rycroft, a member of our council membership committee, is quoted in This is Money and Mail+ as well as several other outlets speaking about extra conditions added to wills.
International Women's Day
Solicitors Journal reports on International Women's Day with quotes from I. Stephanie Boyce.
She said: "100 years on we are aware that there is still work to be done, especially to retain and progress women solicitors in the profession."
Law Society research found in the year to 31 July 2019, 63.1 per cent of new admissions were women. I. Stephanie Boyce added: "However, despite women first outnumbering men in new entrants to the profession in 1992 - 1993 and representing over half of all solicitors since 2017, a relatively small proportion are in senior roles".
Find a solicitor
The Sun mentions our Find a Solicitor database in an article about divorce.
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