Law Society warning over criminal defence
The Times (The Brief) reports the Law Society’s warning that it is considering advising its members not to undertake criminal defence work if solicitors doing this work do not receive fair pay and parity with any offer given to barristers.
Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce said: “If solicitors do not get parity on the bare minimum 15% recommended by Lord Bellamy, the Ministry of Justice will have made it clear that there is no future in criminal defence practice and we will advise our members not to undertake this work.”
Crown Court backlog
The Independent, Evening Standard, Daily Mail, Derbyshire Times, London World, MSN News, Sussex World, Bucks Herald, Cumbria Crack and 380+ other regional outlets cover our response to the mounting Crown Court backlog.
“A huge backlog of criminal court cases has left victims and defendants facing unacceptable delays to access justice, even in the most serious of cases,” said Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce.
“The criminal justice system has been devastated by years of underfunding and cuts and there are not enough judges, barristers and solicitors to cover all the cases.
“Trust in the system is in real jeopardy and a system collapse would embolden criminals.
“The UK government is falling way short of addressing the crisis in the criminal justice system. You cannot fix the problems in the system unless you fund all parts of it effectively.”
Our call for parity for solicitors with barristers on criminal legal aid funding is picked up by the New Law Journal.
Black History Month: call to action
The New Law Journal reports on Black History Month. This year’s theme is ‘Time for Change: Action Not Words.’
I. Stephanie Boyce said: “Black people often experience racism and discrimination. Then they are expected to fix it. This must change.
“Improving diversity and inclusion in the legal profession has always been one of my primary ambitions as president.
“I hope the work I have done during my time as president has gone some way to improving how the profession recruits and retains its talent. Personal characteristics or an individual’s socio-economic background should not determine how far people can go.”
Jacqueline Rhule-Dagher, a member of our LGBT+ Lawyers Division, writes in DIVA Magazine about the experiences of Black people in the LGBTQIA+ community and the legal profession.
Family court statistics
Today’s Family Lawyer looks at the family court statistics for April to June 2022.
“We have continually voiced our concern about the backlogs in the family courts. Delays can cause significant harm and uncertainty for the parties involved,” said I. Stephanie Boyce.
Annual Statistics Report
Today’s Wills and Probate reports on our Annual Statistics Report 2021.
“This report has been compiled for over 30 years and provides a comprehensive picture of how the solicitors’ profession has evolved over the long-run in terms of size and structure,” said I. Stephanie Boyce.
Also worth a read:
- No10 rebuke over Home Secretary’s call to leave ECHR – Times (£)
- Rise in the number of lawyers working at fee-share firms – Legal Futures
- Two men jailed for murder of Sheffield solicitor – Gazette
- Albania asylum guidance under review – Independent
- Family mediation rebrand suggested – Gazette