Spring Budget
Law360 (£) and LexisNexis (£) cover our reaction to the Spring Budget.
The Law Society has urged the U.K. government to direct more funding to the justice system and build public confidence in it. Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “The UK government has once again failed to address the crisis facing our justice system.
“Small amounts of money to the family court system for early advice are welcome, but it shows the government isn’t facing up to the challenges plaguing the justice system.
“Only through investment in staff, judges, legal professionals and our court buildings can the government begin to address these issues.”
International Women’s day (8 March)
At the NCRI and the International Women’s Day Conference in Paris, Christina Blacklaws, non-executive director of The Barrister Group and former president of the Law Society emphasised the Iranian regime’s longstanding efforts to suppress democratic opposition and silence dissenting voices, particularly those who have been victims of torture and massacre in Iranian prisons.
In Moore Barlow Insights, Simi Gupta, Chartered Legal Executive said: “In 2002, it had been 100 years since the Law Society appointed its first female solicitor who has provided a way for many more female solicitors/CILEX lawyers/barristers over the years. Legal government bodies such as the Law Society, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and the Bar Association have taken a stance in promoting gender equality by introducing what is known as ‘The Women in Law’ pledge.”
Legal aid
The Law Journal says that the court’s recent judgment on legal aid represents a high-water mark of judicial intervention. By contrast, the Divisional Court’s recent judgment in R (on the application of Law Society of England and Wales) v Lord Chancellor represents the high-water mark of judicial intervention. Everyone is aware of the lamentable state of legal aid as a result of years of austerity and neglect.
The New Law Journal asks if the Law Society’s win on legal aid was an ‘unfortunate precedent’.
Pay gap report
In Today’s wills and probate, the article mentions that The Law Society of England and Wales has published its pay gap report for 2023 that has shown median pay gaps in favour of white and male staff within the sector.
Law Society chief executive officer Jeffery said: “In line with our Diversity and Inclusion Framework, our 2022-2023 activity focused on establishing our purpose, engaging with key stakeholders and gathering data. Reducing pay gaps is a priority for the Law Society and we are committed to achieving this by focussing on actions that are likely to have the biggest impact. We have introduced a range of measures over the past two years, including anonymised recruitment, flexible working policy and mandatory inclusive recruitment training. These are likely to have a positive impact on pay gaps, but will unlikely impact pay gap data collected in April 2023. Reducing our pay gaps to zero does not automatically equate to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive. Our actions are designed to further unpack what is causing our pay gaps and realise our broader equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) vision.”
Also worth a read:
- Regard yourselves as regulators, Post Office victim tells lawyers – Gazette
- The must-follow lawfluencers for 2024 – Legal Cheek
- MPs call for crackdown on NDAs after bullying inquiry in UK financial sector – The Guardian
- Ours laws on public protest are no longer fit for purpose – The Telegraph
- Mixed allocations in UK Spring Budget: Family law gets boost, Criminal Legal Aid Funding absent – Solicitors Journal