Draft Mental Health Bill deep-dive
Kirsty Stuart, chair of our mental health and disability committee, gave oral evidence on the draft Mental Health Bill to the Justice Committee last week, covered by the Gazette as part of an in-depth look at changes to legislation.
Read our press release
The right to protest
Stuart Nolan, chair of the Law Society’s criminal law committee, spoke to BBC Points West (from 02:30) and BBC London News about the law governing the right to protest, looking at how efforts to tighten the law around demonstrations have to be balanced with human rights law.
Law firms face political threats over ESGs
Law Society Council member and chair of our policy and regulatory affairs committee Jonathan Goldsmith writes in the Gazette about the tightening political focus on law firms’ environmental, social and governance responsibilities.
Jonathan said: “Law firms, too, are now in the cross-hairs, being seen as the gatekeepers, or so-called enablers, of their clients’ ESG actions. As in so many other areas, politicians are targeting them.”
Justice cuts in autumn statement
The Law Society has warned that systemic failure is likely with the cut to justice spending revealed in the autumn statement, as reported by Property Investor Post and the Letting Agent Today which note eviction court delays are likely to grow as a result of spending cuts.
Law Society Vice President Nick Emmerson said: “With inflation so high, the Ministry of Justice budget has effectively been cut. There aren’t any more savings to be made in a justice system which is already breaking down after decades of underinvestment.
“We are faced with a situation where access to justice is needed more than ever but has never been so endangered.
“The government will be forced to pick up the pieces, at greater cost, further down the line.”
Also worth a read:
- Retained EU Law Bill slammed – FT (£)
- Call for more SRA help with ethical disclosure – Legal Futures
- The town at the centre of asylum debate – BBC
- LawCare focus on men’s mental health - Gazette