Civil legal aid deserts
The Times (£) and Today’s Wills & Probate continues coverage our legal aid desert maps.
The 1 April marked 10 years since the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Publishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) came into force, devastating the legal aid system.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “We have long called for a review of civil legal aid sustainability, so we are pleased the government launched its review earlier this year.
“However, that review won’t report its findings until 2024. We are unlikely to see any significant changes until at least 2025. This is too long as services are collapsing now.”
Court disrepair
The Times (£) runs an in-depth piece looking at the condition of court buildings and the deteriorating state of court infrastructure.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “The shambolic state of our court buildings demonstrates the lack of investment in our justice system and is a contributor to the huge backlog of cases.”
She adds that “there has not only been a failure to invest in the infrastructure but a failure to invest in people too — the judges, court staff, solicitors and barristers who keep the wheels of justice turning.”
‘No-fault’ divorce
David Hodson, a member of our Family Law Committee, spoke to BBC Radio Devon (from 13:38) about the ‘no-fault’ divorce anniversary, divorce in the UK and answered questions from listeners.
Decline in access to justice
Today’s Family Lawyer covers the results of our PC holder survey and reports that 64% of surveyed lawyers believe that a decline in legal aid has eroded access to justice in the past decade.
“Consistent underfunding of the justice system in the ten years since crushing legal aid cuts were introduced in 2013 means that people are all too often not able to get the support they need if they are unable to afford private legal fees. Over the past ten years there has been a 41% decrease in magistrates’ court representation,” said Law Society President Lubna Shuja.
Also worth a read:
- Ince to enter administration as money runs out – Gazette
- Ince trainees’ future in question – Legal Cheek
- Survey reveals one in 10 salaried judges bullied in last two years – Legal Futures
- No economic growth in February, says ONS – BBC News