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Legal aid – Entitlement. The claimant issued judicial review proceedings, contending that the defendant Lord Chancellor had exceeded his powers, under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, when making reg 33 of the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012, SI 2012/3098. The Divisional Court, in dismissing the application, held that reg 33 of the Regulations was not ultra vires, as the Lord Chancellor had a wide power, which was not limited to procedural matters. Further, reg 33 of the Regulations had not thwarted or frustrated the Act's purpose, but was consistent with it by ensuring that the domestic violence exception had been strictly confined to its intended scope and not exploited.
Legal aid – Entitlement. The claimant issued judicial review proceedings, contending that the defendant Lord Chancellor had exceeded his powers, under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, when making reg 33 of the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012, SI 2012/3098. The Divisional Court, in dismissing the application, held that reg 33 of the Regulations was not ultra vires, as the Lord Chancellor had a wide power, which was not limited to procedural matters. Further, reg 33 of the Regulations had not thwarted or frustrated the Act's purpose, but was consistent with it by ensuring that the domestic violence exception had been strictly confined to its intended scope and not exploited.
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
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
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
