Criminal legal aid rates
The Guardian reports that prison lawyers will continue to desert the profession if legal aid fees in England and Wales are not increased.
In 2022, the government announced a 15% increase in criminal law legal aid rates. However, these proposals amount to a woefully inadequate 9% uplift, and prison law is excluded from this rise.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja has endorsed the call for the 15% uplift in fees to be applied immediately, citing an “urgent need to stop the exodus from the profession.”
On 22 June, the Law Society was granted permission to bring a judicial review challenge against the government, after it failed to increase legal aid rates by the bare minimum 15%.
Delays in family courts
Woking News & Mail, Cornish & Devon Post, Birmingham World, The Star, Newcastle World, Sussex World, London World, Barnet Post, Today’s Family Lawyer, Local Government Lawyer and more than 200 regional publications continue coverage on the delays in family courts which are causing children removed from parents to wait for over a year for a decision on where they will live.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “What is often missed in the debate around the unacceptable backlogs in our family courts is the impact on children.
“They are suffering the very real consequences of months and sometimes years of uncertainty about their future, preventing them from having the stability they need to thrive.”
Cris McCurley, a member of the Law Society’s Access to Justice Committee, said: “The entire family courts system is creaking after years of austerity cuts and neglect.”
“As a practitioner it is heartbreaking to have to deal with the consequences of this and I worry about the effect on children, some of whom have not seen their primary carer parent for more than three years. There needs to be investment in the system, now.”
Mark Evans elected as new Deputy Vice President
Legal Cheek, the Gazette and Inside Conveyancing report that Mark Evans has been elected as our next Deputy Vice President.
He will take office in October 2023, become Vice President in 2024 and in 2025, when we celebrate our 200th anniversary, he will become President of the Law Society.
Mark Evans said: “I am extremely proud to have been elected as the next deputy vice president of the Law Society and the first in our history to be elected from North Wales.
Law Society President said: “I extend my deepest congratulations to Mark, who emerged as the winner from a strong field of candidates. Mark will bring his own unique perspective and experience to the role.”
LSB to review enforcement tools available to regulators
The Gazette and Legal Futures covers our response to the news the Legal Services Board (LSB) is to review the enforcement and investigative tools available to regulators.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “The SRA’s power to discipline and fine solicitors who commit misconduct was increased very recently. More serious matters continue to be referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. There is no evidence that the SRA’s current fining powers are insufficient.
“The SRA does not exist on its own in the regulatory process. It sits alongside the SDT, which already has draconian powers to sanction any wrong-doing in the solicitors’ profession. These include not only fining powers but also the ability to remove a solicitor from the profession altogether.
“The SDT remains the appropriate forum for serious cases of alleged misconduct. It is independent from the regulator and has clearly defined processes. This transparency means that solicitors, clients, and the general public can have confidence in the SDT’s decision making processes.”
“We strongly oppose any proposals to further increase the current financial penalties available to the SRA. This request appears to be a knee jerk reaction to the recent media investigation into a very small number of solicitors, who have been quickly dealt with by way of interim measures while their cases are properly considered.”
E-conveyancing steering group
Canadian Lawyer and Australasian Lawyer cover the formation of the Digital Property Market Steering Group.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “The Law Society is committed to improving the home-buying experience for consumers and others involved in the conveyancing process. Whilst we know that chains of transactions can lengthen timescales, involving sellers’ solicitors at an early stage would make the process smoother and more efficient.
“We recognise that the combined efforts of the whole sector – regulators, professional and trade bodies, and government – are needed to achieve this. This new group provides a forum for collaboration and achieving change, while enabling individual members to progress their own work in a co-ordinated way.”
First regional Admissions Ceremony
On 11 September, we will be hosting our first regional Admissions Ceremony in Leeds, Jurist reports.
Also worth a read:
- Bibby Stockholm: First asylum seekers will be moved to barge later today – BBC News
- Illegal migrants could be sent to Ascension Island if Rwanda policy fails – Times (£)
- Braverman says lawyers who submit false asylum claims should be jailed – Mail on Sunday
- Immigration law firms call for higher increase in legal aid fees – Financial Times (£)