*/
A Bar Council “think tank” has proposed a self-funding scheme to help those ineligible for civil legal aid but without the means to mount a legal claim.
The Contingent Legal Aid Fund (CLAF) has been developed by the Bar Council’s Policy Advisory Group, led by Guy Mansfield QC, and is set out in his report “The Merits of a Contingent Legal Aid Fund”. It would be managed by financial professionals who would determine whether claims should be supported. Successful claims would pay a reasonable proportion of their winnings back into the CLAF pool to fund future claims. A consultation will begin in May.
Commenting on the report Guy Mansfield QC said: “The funding of litigation has changed fundamentally in the past ten years, and the CLAF now looks like an idea whose time has come.”
The Contingent Legal Aid Fund (CLAF) has been developed by the Bar Council’s Policy Advisory Group, led by Guy Mansfield QC, and is set out in his report “The Merits of a Contingent Legal Aid Fund”. It would be managed by financial professionals who would determine whether claims should be supported. Successful claims would pay a reasonable proportion of their winnings back into the CLAF pool to fund future claims. A consultation will begin in May.
Commenting on the report Guy Mansfield QC said: “The funding of litigation has changed fundamentally in the past ten years, and the CLAF now looks like an idea whose time has come.”
A Bar Council “think tank” has proposed a self-funding scheme to help those ineligible for civil legal aid but without the means to mount a legal claim.
Justice system requires urgent attention and next steps on the Harman Review
Q&A with Tim Lynch of Jordan Lynch Private Finance
By Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Why Virtual Assistants Can Meet the Legal Profession’s Exacting Standards
Six months of court observation at the Old Bailey: APPEAL’s Dr Nisha Waller and Tehreem Sultan report their findings on prosecution practices under joint enterprise
The Amazonian artist’s first international solo exhibition is wholly relevant to current issues in social and environmental justice, says Stephen Cragg KC
Despite its prevalence, autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood in the criminal justice system. Does Alex Henry’s joint enterprise conviction expose the need to audit prisons? asks Dr Felicity Gerry KC
Until reforms are instituted and a programme of training is introduced, expert opinion on intimate partner abuse remains vital to realigning the tilted scales of law and justice, writes Professor Susan Edwards
It’s been five years since the groundbreaking QC competition in which six Black women barristers, including the 2025 Chair of the Bar, took silk. Yet today, the number of Black KCs remains ‘critically low’. Desirée Artesi talks to Baroness Scotland KC, Allison Munroe KC and Melanie Simpson KC about the critical success factors, barriers and ideas for embedding change