*/
A statutory right to justice is needed to resolve the legal aid crisis, according to the final report of the Bach Commission.
The commission, chaired by Labour’s former justice minister Lord Bach, and set up by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, said a Right to Justice Act would be monitored and enforced by a Justice Commission.
To address the current ‘crisis’ in access to justice, it proposed urgent policy changes, including increasing the number of people eligible for legal aid by reforming the means test and restoring legal aid for early advice.
During the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC, gave his backing to limited legal aid reform. Speaking at a fringe event organised by LawWorks he accepted that gaps in provision had created ‘unfairness’ and said ‘there is a strong case for a significant increase in funding for early advice’.
At an event organised by the Society of Conservative Lawyers with the Bar Council and Law Society, the Lord Chancellor, David Lidington, said the government will ‘soon’ launch its post-legislative review of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
It will, he said, provide an ‘opportunity to take stock and to see whether there are good arguments for specific changes to be made’. But, he stressed: ‘I’m not going to pretend that I have a crock of gold that the Chancellor has suddenly presented me with.’
A statutory right to justice is needed to resolve the legal aid crisis, according to the final report of the Bach Commission.
The commission, chaired by Labour’s former justice minister Lord Bach, and set up by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, said a Right to Justice Act would be monitored and enforced by a Justice Commission.
To address the current ‘crisis’ in access to justice, it proposed urgent policy changes, including increasing the number of people eligible for legal aid by reforming the means test and restoring legal aid for early advice.
During the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC, gave his backing to limited legal aid reform. Speaking at a fringe event organised by LawWorks he accepted that gaps in provision had created ‘unfairness’ and said ‘there is a strong case for a significant increase in funding for early advice’.
At an event organised by the Society of Conservative Lawyers with the Bar Council and Law Society, the Lord Chancellor, David Lidington, said the government will ‘soon’ launch its post-legislative review of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
It will, he said, provide an ‘opportunity to take stock and to see whether there are good arguments for specific changes to be made’. But, he stressed: ‘I’m not going to pretend that I have a crock of gold that the Chancellor has suddenly presented me with.’
Now is the time to tackle inappropriate behaviour at the Bar as well as extend our reach and collaboration with organisations and individuals at home and abroad
A comparison – Dan Monaghan, Head of DWF Chambers, invites two viewpoints
And if not, why not? asks Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Head of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, discusses the many benefits of oral fluid drug testing for child welfare and protection matters
To mark International Women’s Day, Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management looks at how financial planning can help bridge the gap
Casey Randall of AlphaBiolabs answers some of the most common questions regarding relationship DNA testing for court
Maria Scotland and Niamh Wilkie report from the Bar Council’s 2024 visit to the United Arab Emirates exploring practice development opportunities for the England and Wales family Bar
Marking Neurodiversity Week 2025, an anonymous barrister shares the revelations and emotions from a mid-career diagnosis with a view to encouraging others to find out more
David Wurtzel analyses the outcome of the 2024 silk competition and how it compares with previous years, revealing some striking trends and home truths for the profession
Save for some high-flyers and those who can become commercial arbitrators, it is generally a question of all or nothing but that does not mean moving from hero to zero, says Andrew Hillier