Legal Aid

international

Barristers are invited to take part in a barefoot campaign as an act of solidarity with lawyers imprisoned or murdered simply for carrying out their professional duty.  On 12 November – Barefoot Lawyer Day – they are asked to join with legal professionals across the world, take off their shoes and socks, take a photo of themselves as barefooted lawyers and post it on twitter @tweetlawfeet or a facebook page of the same name. They can also support the petition at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31796.

legal aid

Lawyers gave Doreen Lawrence and solicitor Imran Khan a standing ovation for their contribution to justice at the 2012 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards. 

Having spent the year after university working in a law centre in Birmingham, Emily Johnson examines the possible effects of the proposed legal aid reforms on the Law Centre Movement. 

On 13 May 2010 Liam Byrne MP, former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, somewhat ominously forewarned his successor that “there is no money”. The latest figures indicate that the UK has amassed a national debt totalling £770 billion, upon which it is paying interest at the annual rate of around £43 billion. 

At the 2011 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards, Marc Willers received the award for Barrister of the Year. He talks about the practice he has developed and in particular about his representation of Gypsies and Travellers

I was very surprised and truly honoured to receive the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) award in 2011. It was a real privilege to be handed the award by Doreen Lawrence who has worked tirelessly to obtain justice for her son, Stephen, and in doing so has forced our society to acknowledge and address institutional racism. 

Much has been said about the legal aid cuts but another critical issue is the eternal rejection of claims by the Legal Services Commission and the crippling financial consequences for barristers waiting for payment. Vanora Bennett investigates. 

Legal aid defence barristers, already struggling to adjust to massive cuts in public funding, are being dealt a double blow by a second, more insidious problem – the worsening difficulty of getting any pay at all from the Legal Services Commission (or the LSC). 

What will 2012 hold both here and over the pond?  Toby Craig and Charles Hale look ahead.  

First and foremost, we would like to wish a very happy New Year to all of WW’s readers. Now that the turkey has been digested, and the crackers pulled, we can focus on the year ahead and the job in hand. 

House of Lords

The House of Lords constitution committee has highlighted “significant” concerns with the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.

Profession

Proposed reforms contained in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill would, if the Bill becomes law, be postponed until April 2013, six months later than the original date for implementation.

A review of the Bar Conference; frustration at the seemingly unstoppable progress of the Legal Aid Bill as it heads to the Lords; a look back at the year in office as Chairman; and bidding farewell. 

Criminal

Two separate judicial reviews have been launched against the Ministry of Justice in response to plans within the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2010-2011 to cut legal aid.