Criminal Legal Aid response
Lexis Nexis, the Week, Gazette, World News, National Wales, and Costs Lawyer Journal report our reaction to the government’s final response to the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja is quoted as saying: “Until the government chooses to address the crisis in the criminal justice system, victims will continue to be let down, court delays will increase and talk of being tough on crime will be nothing but empty words.”
Regional papers, such as Shropshire Star and Chard and Ilminster News, continue to cover the story.
Legal Cheek and City AM also cover our response and specifically focus on our warning to students and junior solicitors of the unpredictable future of criminal law.
Lubna is quoted as saying: “Our warning to those entering the profession, and considering a career in criminal defence practice, is that given the current situation with criminal legal aid, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to generate a reasonable professional income from this work.”
Read our press release.
Probate application delays
The Daily Mail, The Washington Time, Knowledia News, MSN UK and This is Money report a backlog of paper probate applications and recommend steps to ensure a faster application process.
A Law Society spokesperson said: “We have been aware of the probate service delays for some time. The service must allow executors to settle a loved one's estate in a reasonable timeframe.
“Our members are also frustrated by HMCTS's lack of clarity on response times. They're keen for HMCTS to give realistic timescales to allow them to manage client expectations.”
The article is also picked up in regional news Independent Eagle, Trending Today and The Amed Post.
Tech-enabled dispute resolution
Legal Futures and the Gazette mention our role in the SRA’s successful bid for a grant to support technology-enabled dispute resolutions.
Inheritance tax traps
The Law Society’s Council Membership Committee member Gary Rycroft explains in Daily Express and FNTalk inheritance tax rules that can apply to properties.
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