Crown court backlog
A BBC investigation has found the waiting times for trials for sexual offences in England have increased to the highest on record, with an average wait of one year.
Cris McCurley, a member of our access to justice committee, spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle (from 3:42:27) about how the crown court backlog is affecting victims of sexual assault.
Solicitor Belinda Knight spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire (from 1:01:43) and BBC Radio Oxford (from 3:02:10) about the backlog and underfunding of the courts system.
The Eastern Daily Express also covers the issue, while the Daily Echo looks at the delays at the Bournemouth Crown Court, noting "the Law Society said the record high proportion of ineffective trials across England and Wales will cause "unacceptable" delays for victims and warned government underfunding is a key cause."
Ministry of Justice to be grilled over legal aid
The Gazette, Business Mayor, and Business Fast report the House of Commons will hear evidence from Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce on legal aid and the need for increased funding for the justice system.
Meanwhile, our criticism of the government's response to the Criminal Legal Aid Review is mentioned elsewhere in the Gazette.
Ask a Solicitor
As part of our 'Ask a Solicitor' series, Paul Singh, a member of our employment law committee, writes in the Birmingham Mail about what you can do if you want to switch to working part-time. The piece was also picked up by UK Today News and MSN UK.
Ian Birrell, another member of our employment law committee, writes in the Birmingham Mail about your rights if you're off sick with covid.
Stronger than expected pandemic performance
Our financial benchmarking survey revealed that law firms have performed better than expected during the pandemic, report Today's Willis and Probate, Today's Conveyancer, and Legal Brief.
Law Society vice president Lubna Shuja said: "Solicitor firms have demonstrated their resilience through 2020-21, using lifelines from government to retain staff and equipping them to support clients from outside traditional office environments.
"This survey highlights the range of vital activity, economic and social, which solicitors have continued to facilitate through the pandemic. It also provides insights into the drivers of success as firms look towards business in the new normal."
Read our press release
Fines waived for families caught in HMRC trust clampdown
Gary Rycroft, a member of our council membership committee, spoke to the Telegraph about new rules the HMRC have introduced obliging people to declare 'express' trusts.
Also worth a read:
- Shoppers could face £271 rise in annual food bills – BBC
- Twitter accepts Elon Musk $44 bn takeover offer – FT (£)
- Sue Gray report to be completed by end of May at earliest – Guardian
- Calls for extra bank holiday to be made permanent – BBC
- UN chief to meet Putin – BBC