*/
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Legal and Constitutional Affairs observed the diamond anniversary of legal aid by posing the question, “Is there a future for the publicly funded practitioner?”
The only speaker to address the question head on was Desmond Browne QC, Chairman of the Bar, who reported that that part of the Bar was “totally demoralised”; bright and diverse BVC students are being advised not to aim for publicly funded work (with downstream consequences for the future judiciary); and the legal market overall was being distorted by the use of in-house advocates on spurious grounds of money-saving, by the use of referral fees between solicitors, and by the Legal Services Commission (“LSC”) breaching their duty to promote equality and conducting “Dutch auction” negotiations with solicitors alone.
The legal aid minister, Lord Bach, praised the successes of the scheme (which no one disputed) but repeated the need for change. There will always be a cap on the budget and “all change is difficult” but he asserted his pride in introducing “a market based approach” for police station and magistrates’ court work and also means testing in the Crown Court (letting the convicted contribute towards their defence but not reimbursing at higher than legal aid rates those who are acquitted but who paid their lawyers privately). “Embracing change and making some pretty hard choices” he summed up. He praised the commitment of publicly funded practitioners but did not prognosticate on their future.
The only speaker to address the question head on was Desmond Browne QC, Chairman of the Bar, who reported that that part of the Bar was “totally demoralised”; bright and diverse BVC students are being advised not to aim for publicly funded work (with downstream consequences for the future judiciary); and the legal market overall was being distorted by the use of in-house advocates on spurious grounds of money-saving, by the use of referral fees between solicitors, and by the Legal Services Commission (“LSC”) breaching their duty to promote equality and conducting “Dutch auction” negotiations with solicitors alone.
The legal aid minister, Lord Bach, praised the successes of the scheme (which no one disputed) but repeated the need for change. There will always be a cap on the budget and “all change is difficult” but he asserted his pride in introducing “a market based approach” for police station and magistrates’ court work and also means testing in the Crown Court (letting the convicted contribute towards their defence but not reimbursing at higher than legal aid rates those who are acquitted but who paid their lawyers privately). “Embracing change and making some pretty hard choices” he summed up. He praised the commitment of publicly funded practitioners but did not prognosticate on their future.
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Legal and Constitutional Affairs observed the diamond anniversary of legal aid by posing the question, “Is there a future for the publicly funded practitioner?”
The Chair of the Bar sets out how the new government can restore the justice system
In the first of a new series, Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth considers the fundamental need for financial protection
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Possibly, but many barristers are glad he did…
Mental health charity Mind BWW has received a £500 donation from drug, alcohol and DNA testing laboratory, AlphaBiolabs as part of its Giving Back campaign
The Institute of Neurotechnology & Law is thrilled to announce its inaugural essay competition
How to navigate open source evidence in an era of deepfakes. By Professor Yvonne McDermott Rees and Professor Alexa Koenig
Brie Stevens-Hoare KC and Lyndsey de Mestre KC take a look at the difficulties women encounter during the menopause, and offer some practical tips for individuals and chambers to make things easier
Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice since January 2021, is well known for his passion for access to justice and all things digital. Perhaps less widely known is the driven personality and wanderlust that lies behind this, as Anthony Inglese CB discovers
The Chair of the Bar sets out how the new government can restore the justice system
No-one should have to live in sub-standard accommodation, says Antony Hodari Solicitors. We are tackling the problem of bad housing with a two-pronged approach and act on behalf of tenants in both the civil and criminal courts