Criminal court delays
Yorkshire Evening Post, St Albans & Harpenden Review and the Boreham & Elstree Times continue coverage of the latest criminal court statistics.
The number of outstanding cases in the Crown Court – 66,547 – is the highest on record.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said the "fundamental right to access to justice is at stake without urgent investment into criminal justice.”
He added that the criminal justice system was "withering at the root due to decades of underinvestment and the government’s failure to tackle the crisis" and court delays were compounded by a shortage of legal professionals, poor infrastructure and overrun prisons.
Access to justice
Insurance Age (£) mentions the Law Society’s research in a piece examining the role of LEI in 21st century justice. Our research shows that 3.6 million adults in England and Wales have unmet legal needs.
Legal Ombudsman Service
Legal Futures continues coverage of our response to the Office of Legal Complaints’ 2024-2027 draft strategy and the 2024-2025 business plan consultation for the Legal Ombudsman.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said the average productivity of LeO’s investigators in 2022-23 seemed “inexplicably low” at 4.3 cases per month.
“We believe that recruitment and retainment must focus on investigators and ensuring that their training equips them to provide a competent service where quality is assured and waiting times are substantially reduced.”
Looking ahead to 2024
The Gazette Magazine (page 7) lists 24 things for solicitors to look out for in 2024.
They include:
- The High Court’s decision over the government’s decision not to uplift criminal defence solicitors’ fees by 15%
- Publication of the Law Society’s white paper for its 21st Century Justice project
- A decision on who Chartered Legal Executives are regulated by
- The Legal Services Board’s independent review of regulatory events leading up to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s intervention of Axiom Ince
- The start of expenses being available for Qualified Legal Representatives in domestic abuse cases
Pro Bono Awards
Chester Standard and FE News reports that University of Chester’s Community Law project was shortlisted for LawWorks’ Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership Award.
The awards ceremony was held at Chancery Lane on 5 December.
Also worth a read:
- PM says his ‘working assumption’ is general election will happen in second half of 2024 – BBC & Guardian
- Ed Davey says Post Office bosses mislead him on Horizon scandal – Times (£)
- Lawyers in the frame in the Post Office Horizon Inquiry – Gazette Magazine (page 12)
- Jimmy Lai’s legal team file urgent UN appeal – Guardian
- Epstein documents: Prince Andrew reported to the police – Times (£)