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THE leaders of the Circuits have announced that they have submitted a Discussion Paper published by the Bar Council called Legal Aid and the Public Interest to the appropriate Regional Ministers and MPs. The Discussion Paper is designed as the start of a ‘conversation’ with stakeholders in the legal aid system, to run between now and the General Election, expected in spring 2010.
A world-class legal aid system, held in the same esteem as the NHS, is the objective of the debate over publicly funded legal services being launched. The Discussion Paper highlights the detrimental effects upon access to justice which the current system creates. Writing in the introduction to the new paper, Tim Dutton QC, Chairman of the Bar said: “We may be about to face the irreversible consequences of the erosion of legal aid, brought about by reductions in funding of frontline services by Government.
Legal aid is worth standing up for – not for the sake of lawyers, but in the public interest and in the interests of justice. A robust legal aid system serves the goals of the conviction of the guilty and the acquittal of the innocent. It is also a tool for tackling social exclusion, and a powerful weapon in favour of the weak, the victim and hard-working families who deserve a fairer deal from the law.
It is in the interests of justice, because the court system cannot operate effectively without the support of suitably qualified and properly paid solicitors and advocates, with a fundamental duty to the court, and a responsibility to do the right thing in the eyes of the law.”
A world-class legal aid system, held in the same esteem as the NHS, is the objective of the debate over publicly funded legal services being launched. The Discussion Paper highlights the detrimental effects upon access to justice which the current system creates. Writing in the introduction to the new paper, Tim Dutton QC, Chairman of the Bar said: “We may be about to face the irreversible consequences of the erosion of legal aid, brought about by reductions in funding of frontline services by Government.
Legal aid is worth standing up for – not for the sake of lawyers, but in the public interest and in the interests of justice. A robust legal aid system serves the goals of the conviction of the guilty and the acquittal of the innocent. It is also a tool for tackling social exclusion, and a powerful weapon in favour of the weak, the victim and hard-working families who deserve a fairer deal from the law.
It is in the interests of justice, because the court system cannot operate effectively without the support of suitably qualified and properly paid solicitors and advocates, with a fundamental duty to the court, and a responsibility to do the right thing in the eyes of the law.”
THE leaders of the Circuits have announced that they have submitted a Discussion Paper published by the Bar Council called Legal Aid and the Public Interest to the appropriate Regional Ministers and MPs. The Discussion Paper is designed as the start of a ‘conversation’ with stakeholders in the legal aid system, to run between now and the General Election, expected in spring 2010.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
A career shaped by advocacy beyond her practice, and the realities of living with an invisible disability – Dr Natasha Shotunde, Black Barristers’ Network Co-Founder and its Chair for seven years, reflects on a decade at the Bar
Responding to criticism on the narrow profile of government-instructed counsel, Mel Nebhrajani CB describes the system-wide change at GLD to drive fairer distribution of work and broader development of talent
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Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
