Family court statistics
Today’s Family Lawyer covers the latest official family court statistics.
Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: “We have long voiced our concern about the delays in the family courts – which pre-date the pandemic. Delays can cause significant harm as well as uncertainty for the parties involved.”
Civil legal aid review
The Gazette reports that a civil legal aid review will be announced in January.
Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: “Our research on the vast legal aid deserts across England and Wales shows the crisis is already acute. There simply isn’t time to wait until the end of this review process before investment is made to halt the collapse of civil legal aid advice provision.”
Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund
Legal Cheek covers our support of the Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund (SWSQF). The piece also mentions our research on legal aid deserts.
“News of the funding efforts follows research undertaken by the Law Society which found that 80% of the population do not have access to a welfare legal aid provider, ‘leaving them unable to challenge or appeal decisions.’”
Rwanda asylum ruling
Afro News covers our concern about access to justice in the wake of the High Court’s ruling on the Rwanda asylum policy.
SRA fining powers
The Gazette speaks to a lawyer who specialises in defending solicitors before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), about his thoughts on the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) new fining powers.
He shares our concern about the SRA ‘acting as investigator, prosecutor and judge’.
Also worth a read:
- The year ahead for conveyancing – Solicitors Journal
- Asylum system cost set to reach £3.5 billion – Times (£)
- EU settlement scheme rule unlawful – Guardian
- Metamorph auditors resign – Gazette