Judicial review
iNews (£) and the Gazette (pg 4) continue coverage of our High Court victory. The High Court ruled that our judicial review was successful, and the government acted unlawfully in failing to increase criminal legal aid rates.
LBC also picks up the judgment.
Courts backlog
City A.M. reports the UK government has been urged to do more to crack down on fraud as the number of high-value criminal cases reaching the courts has stayed flat despite a sharp rise in fraud. Fraud receives less than one per cent of police resources. And even if such cases are prosecuted, record-breaking court backlogs could mean huge delays before these cases get to trial.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “Decades of cuts and underinvestment in our justice system has led us to this crisis where there aren’t enough judges, lawyers and court staff to deal with the huge volume of work.”
Criminal legal aid
Solicitors Journal writes an article about the Association of Prison Lawyers urging for Bellamy’s full 15% uplift for all areas of criminal legal aid. It mentions our recent judicial review win.
Mental Health Act
Barnsley Chronicle continues coverage of the 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.”
Generative AI
The Gazette (pg 16-19) run an in-depth piece on how generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way lawyers work, but also the challenges facing firms, from procurement to data security.
It mentions our guidance which was published last year.
Find out more about our guidance
Housing legal aid
Inside Housing takes an in-depth look at the decrease in the provision of housing legal aid.
It cites our data which shows that 42% of people in England and Wales do not have access to a local legal aid provider for housing advice.
Find out more about our legal aid deserts data
Also worth a read:
- Sir Bob Neill to stand down at next election – BBC News
- SRA begins review of client protection – Legal Futures
- State pension age may need to rise to 71 – Guardian
- Train strikes: What you need to know – City A.M.