Public Funding

Funding for specialist advisers providing support in severe cases of family breakdown has been cut, in moves announced last month by the Ministry of Justice and Legal Services Commission. Lucy Theis QC, Chairman of the Family Law Bar Association, warned of two-fold risks: “These cuts will result in the inability of wives to secure proper financial provision from a husband determined to hide assets…The Government is making this area of practice less attractive for prospective barristers…This will deny vulnerable families and children effective access to justice.”

THE Bar Council and the Family Law Bar Association have expressed concern over plans, announced by the Ministry of Justice, to roll up payments to barristers and solicitors into a single advocacy fee, putting at risk effective access to justice for those who need most protection. 

Lucy Theis QC, Chairman of the Family Law Bar Association, said: 

‘The protection of children is a concern to all of us. There is often no second chance when children are at risk of harm. At a time when senior family judges are publicly raising concern that the system is creaking at the seams the LSC seem intent on putting it under increasing pressure – children, parents and the administration of the Courts will suffer. 

THE Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards saw two outstanding publicly-funded practitioners scoop the two awards, for Legal Aid Barrister of the Year and Young Legal Aid Barrister of the Year. Cherie Booth QC presented the awards at a ceremony which saw the best of the publicly-funded Bar celebrated by their peers. The Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award, which was sponsored by the Bar Council, went to Robert Latham, of Doughty Street Chambers. Robert’s nomination was supported by a number of leading members of the legal profession including Lord Justice Sedley; Keir Starmer QC; and Jan Luba QC, last year’s winner of this award. Robert’s 30 year career at the Bar has seen him lead the way in applying the Disability Discrimination Act to housing; he is a leading authority on the
housing allocations and homelessness aspects of the 1996 Housing Act; he has been at the forefront of litigation about tolerated trespassers. Robert is also a prolific writer and educator and, over the years, has trained and acted as mentor to dozens of other housing lawyers. 

The Young Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award, sponsored by Irwin Mitchell, was presented to Felicity Williams, of 6 King’s Bench Walk in London. Felicity was a founder of the Young Legal Aid Lawyers group and has been its vice chair since she was a trainee barrister. She has devoted significant time to campaigning and lobbying on behalf of the junior, publiclyfunded Bar, and has managed to combine this with a successful criminal practice. Described by those she has worked with as ‘dynamic, energetic and with a mature grasp of the issues and politics’. 

What battles await the new Bar Council Chairman? David Wurtzel talks to Desmond Browne QC about the dragons he intends to anaesthetise, if not slay, in 2009 

The temperature is rising at the Bar Council as it battles hard on public funding and key structural issues, says Tim Dutton QC