Criminal legal aid
New Law Journal covers the UK government’s decision to give criminal legal aid solicitors a pay boost for police station work. The Law Society expresses concern that the boost still falls short of the minimum recommended by the Bellamy review.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “The additional money announced today still leaves the increased expenditure below that identified by Lord Bellamy as 'the minimum necessary as the first step in nursing the system of criminal legal aid back to health after years of neglect.’
"Moreover, the impact of these increases, including those announced today, has been wiped out by inflation and the current position is even more critical than the 'parlous' state he described.
“While only a small step in the right direction and not all police station schemes will benefit from an increase, it is positive to see this consultation on police station and youth court fees is finally underway.”
Mental Health Act
Wigan Today , Halesowen News, Stourbridge News and Lancashire Telegraph cover new statistics from the NHS on the number of detentions under the Mental Health Act.
Law Society vice president Richard Atkinson said: “The current system means there is a risk that compulsory detention and treatment is used too often and that patients do not have enough involvement in decisions about their care.
“The Mental Health Act should be used in the least restrictive way possible and people who are detained against their will should have their views and choices respected.”
He added that reforming the Mental Health Act should be a “priority” for the UK government.
Employment tribunal fees
The Gazette, City A.M. and MSN UK report the UK government is proposing to reintroduce fees for employment tribunal claims, which were initially withdrawn by a Supreme Court ruling in July 2017.
President Nick Emmerson said: “The previous Employment Tribunal fee regime had a chilling effect on access to justice. This was despite the Law Society and many others telling the government at the time that the fees were punitively high. We will closely consider the Ministry of Justice’s new proposals to see if they are compatible with all workers being able to enforce their rights.”
Legal services sector and economic growth
Today’s Wills and Probate covers the Law Society’s submitted representations to HM Treasury ahead of the Spring Budget on 6th March. The submission pushes the UK government to use the Spring Budget to increase support for the legal sector and help grow the economy.
President Nick Emmerson said: “Legal services are an economic powerhouse, worth £60bn annually to the UK economy.
“A strong legal services sector underpins a strong economy across the board.
“As employers, law firms can be found in every region, city and town across England and Wales. Growing legal hubs can be found from Bristol to Newcastle, spreading the benefits of the sector throughout the UK.
“However, the sector faces challenges too. Our research reveals the barriers small and medium legal businesses (SMEs) are facing, which includes recruitment and retention as well as operational and financial costs.”
Also worth a read:
- Rwanda Bill faced strong criticism during first debate in House of Lords - BBC
- Govt decides to delay the conversion of an ex-prison into a migrant detention site - i news (£)
- Reforms to incentivise solicitors to take on complicated cases are on hold due to billing data limitations - Gazette
- Use of AI is inevitable in legal profession – Legal Futures
- Explainer: Northern Ireland Brexit deal - BBC
- IMF warns the UK government against further tax cuts - Guardian
- Corruption index gives the UK its lowest ranking - Independent
- New immigration projections show an extra 6.1 million people added to the UK population by 2036 - Times (£)
- Fujitsu to wait for Horizon inquiry to near end before deciding on compensation – Yahoo!