Civil Legal Aid Review
BBC Shropshire (from 36:50) covers the Law Society’s response to the Ministry of Justice’s civil legal aid review announcement. The show features Law Society Head of Justice Richard Miller discussing the urgent need for funding for civil legal aid to improve access to justice.
Richard said: “There is a huge problem that the more vulnerable parties really struggle to get true justice.”
The Gazette reports that ministers will not reveal the MoJ’s timetable for the civil legal aid review and mentions the Law Society’s concerns regarding the timetable.
Chair of Law Society’s Policy and Regulatory Affairs committee, Jonathan Goldsmith, discusses our reaction to diminishing civil and criminal legal aid and gives recommendations for next steps in the Gazette.
Anti-strike laws
Max Winthrop, a member of the Law Society Employment Law Committee, spoke to Times Radio (from 01:48:36) about the government’s attempts to curb striking and the dangers of imposing universal provisions to bar striking.
Max Winthrop also spoke to BBC London 94.9 (from 00:07:13) to discuss the law relating to the right to strike and the government’s moves to change the legal framework for industrial action.
Court infrastructure report
Legal Cheek uses the Law Society’s report on the condition of court buildings to examine the deteriorating state of court infrastructure and the impact of continued backlogs on justice. The piece also mentions the Law Society’s demand for the immediate implementation of the Bellamy review recommendations for a minimum 15% uplift in criminal legal aid fees.
New property forms published
The Gazette and Property Industry Eye report recent updates to the Law Society’s leasehold forms that now incorporate building safety reform requirements.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja is reported saying the forms were amended as part of efforts to ensure people wanting to buy or re-mortgage flats affected by building safety issues can access mortgage finance.
Solicitors Journal also mentions the launch of the Law Society’s new LPE1 form.
Belsner could revive ‘renumeration certificates’
The Gazette discusses the Association of Costs Lawyers’ (ACL) call to end expensive court battles over solicitors' bills and reinstate the Solicitors’ Renumeration Order 1994. The piece suggests that ACL seeks to do so by working with the Law Society and the Legal Ombudsman.
Also worth a read:
- Government’s anti-strike plan faces challenges - Independent
- AI to provide legal assistance in court – New Scientist
- Calls for MoJ to review Legal Services Board – Legal Futures, Gazette
- Law students show the highest levels of alcohol abuse & psychological distress – Legal Cheek
- Coordinated strikes amongst public sector unions - Guardian