*/
Legal aid
Amendments to the Crime and Courts Bill will allow the unfreezing of wealthy defendants’ assets to meet the costs of legal aid.
The amendments will enable legal aid costs to be seized from all assets, alongside compensation for victims and the proceeds of crime.
The Bar Council hailed the announcement as a significant victory in the public interest: “Since 2010 we have been campaigning for this move to take pressure off a legal aid system, which the Government has already squeezed to breaking point,” said Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar.
The efficacy of the confiscation order system has long come under fire. The value of outstanding fines and orders stood at £1.8bn for 2011-12, HM Courts & Tribunals Service confirmed this year.
New powers have also been announced to recoup legal aid costs from convicted criminals who hide their wealth or refuse to cooperate with financial assessments under the Crown Court Means Testing scheme. From July, a defendant’s motor vehicle can be seized and sold if they are subsequently convicted, supporting changes to the enforcement regime under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
The amendments will enable legal aid costs to be seized from all assets, alongside compensation for victims and the proceeds of crime.
The Bar Council hailed the announcement as a significant victory in the public interest: “Since 2010 we have been campaigning for this move to take pressure off a legal aid system, which the Government has already squeezed to breaking point,” said Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar.
The efficacy of the confiscation order system has long come under fire. The value of outstanding fines and orders stood at £1.8bn for 2011-12, HM Courts & Tribunals Service confirmed this year.
New powers have also been announced to recoup legal aid costs from convicted criminals who hide their wealth or refuse to cooperate with financial assessments under the Crown Court Means Testing scheme. From July, a defendant’s motor vehicle can be seized and sold if they are subsequently convicted, supporting changes to the enforcement regime under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
Legal aid
Amendments to the Crime and Courts Bill will allow the unfreezing of wealthy defendants’ assets to meet the costs of legal aid.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Susie Griffin on the admin that keeps barristers from billable work
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
