*/
Access to justice is in crisis as legal aid cuts have created a two-tier system, a Labour-party commissioned report stated.
The interim report from the Bach Commission, The crisis in the justice system in England and Wales, called for minimum standards enshrined in law to ensure access to justice and an independent inspectorate to enforce them.
It identified six key problems in the system: the loss of legal aid; the failure of the exceptional case funding scheme; inadequate and disjointed public legal education and legal advice; increased court and tribunal fees; excessive bureaucracy in the Legal Aid Agency (LAA); and out-of-date technology.
The solution, it said, cannot simply be to reverse the cuts introduced through the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), and to increase the legal aid budget.
Rather, the Commission plans to develop proposals to establish a minimum standard for access to justice, reform or replace the LAA, transform pubic legal education, increase the availability of legal advice, and increase technological innovation by considering an online portal; an innovation fund and options for alternative dispute resolution.
Labour peer Lord Bach, who chairs the commission, said the justice system is ‘creaking at the seams’ and the LASPO cuts have produced a ‘crisis’ in the justice system in which the poorest in society can no longer receive the legal support they require.
‘This unacceptable state of affairs needs challenging and changing. This report is the starting point in our on-going work to redesign the justice system so that it works for all,’ he said.
The commission aims to publish its final report next year.
Access to justice is in crisis as legal aid cuts have created a two-tier system, a Labour-party commissioned report stated.
The interim report from the Bach Commission, The crisis in the justice system in England and Wales, called for minimum standards enshrined in law to ensure access to justice and an independent inspectorate to enforce them.
It identified six key problems in the system: the loss of legal aid; the failure of the exceptional case funding scheme; inadequate and disjointed public legal education and legal advice; increased court and tribunal fees; excessive bureaucracy in the Legal Aid Agency (LAA); and out-of-date technology.
The solution, it said, cannot simply be to reverse the cuts introduced through the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), and to increase the legal aid budget.
Rather, the Commission plans to develop proposals to establish a minimum standard for access to justice, reform or replace the LAA, transform pubic legal education, increase the availability of legal advice, and increase technological innovation by considering an online portal; an innovation fund and options for alternative dispute resolution.
Labour peer Lord Bach, who chairs the commission, said the justice system is ‘creaking at the seams’ and the LASPO cuts have produced a ‘crisis’ in the justice system in which the poorest in society can no longer receive the legal support they require.
‘This unacceptable state of affairs needs challenging and changing. This report is the starting point in our on-going work to redesign the justice system so that it works for all,’ he said.
The commission aims to publish its final report next year.
Chair of the Bar finds common ground on legal services between our two jurisdictions, plus an update on jury trials
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
An interview with Rob Wagg, CEO of New Park Court Chambers
With at least 31 reports of AI hallucinations in UK legal cases – over 800 worldwide – and judges using AI to assist in judicial decision-making, the risks and benefits are impossible to ignore. Matthew Lee examines how different jurisdictions are responding
What has changed, and why? Paul Secher unpacks the new standards aligning the recruiting, training and appraising of judges – the first major change to the system for ten years
The deprivation of liberty is the most significant power the state can exercise. Drawing on frontline experience, Chris Henley KC explains why replacing trial by jury with judge-only trials risks undermining justice
Ever wondered what a pupillage is like at the CPS? This Q and A provides an insight into the training, experience and next steps
The appointments of 96 new King’s Counsel (also known as silk) are announced today
