*/
IN accordance with the Pre-Action Protocol for Judicial Review Claims, solicitors acting for the Bar Council have written to the Legal Aid Minister, Lord Bach and to the Chairman of the Legal Services Commission, Sir Bill Callaghan in order to advance proceedings for judicial review of the Government’s consultations on criminal legal aid.
The consultations concern the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme and Very High Cost Cases (VHCCs) scheme which have been initiated by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Legal Services Commission (LSC) respectively. The Bar Council’s action follows the rejection by the MoJ and the LSC of the Bar’s request that the Government should combine the deadlines for responses to these consultations and to join them to the timetable for the response to the proposed consultation on a single graduated fee for Crown Court cases. A full pre-action letter will be sent shortly.
Bar Chairman Nicholas Green QC said:
‘The Bar Council asked the MoJ and the LSC to adopt a coordinated and fair approach to their decision-making on the very important matters which are the subject of these consultations. The Government has rejected our request to co-ordinate the consultation timetabes and refused to supply us with the information for which we asked to enable the Bar to respond to the two current consultations. These are inextricably linked to an, as yet, unpublished third consultation. The principal basis of our claim will be that the consultation exercise is unfair and, in our view, unlawful.’
Bar Chairman Nicholas Green QC said:
‘The Bar Council asked the MoJ and the LSC to adopt a coordinated and fair approach to their decision-making on the very important matters which are the subject of these consultations. The Government has rejected our request to co-ordinate the consultation timetabes and refused to supply us with the information for which we asked to enable the Bar to respond to the two current consultations. These are inextricably linked to an, as yet, unpublished third consultation. The principal basis of our claim will be that the consultation exercise is unfair and, in our view, unlawful.’
IN accordance with the Pre-Action Protocol for Judicial Review Claims, solicitors acting for the Bar Council have written to the Legal Aid Minister, Lord Bach and to the Chairman of the Legal Services Commission, Sir Bill Callaghan in order to advance proceedings for judicial review of the Government’s consultations on criminal legal aid.
The consultations concern the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme and Very High Cost Cases (VHCCs) scheme which have been initiated by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Legal Services Commission (LSC) respectively. The Bar Council’s action follows the rejection by the MoJ and the LSC of the Bar’s request that the Government should combine the deadlines for responses to these consultations and to join them to the timetable for the response to the proposed consultation on a single graduated fee for Crown Court cases. A full pre-action letter will be sent shortly.
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
Despite increased awareness, why are AI hallucinations continuing to infiltrate court cases at an alarming rate? Matthew Lee investigates
Many disabled barristers face entrenched obstacles to KC appointment – both procedural and systemic, writes Diego F Soto-Miranda
The proscribing of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act is an assault on the English language and on civil liberties, argues Paul Harris SC, founder of the Bar Human Rights Committee
For over three decades, the Bar Mock Trial Competition has boosted the skills, knowledge and confidence of tens of thousands of state school students – as sixth-form teacher Conor Duffy and Young Citizens’ Akasa Pradhan report
Suzie Miller’s latest play puts the legal system centre stage once more. Will it galvanise change? asks Rehna Azim
