Family Justice Narratives : No. 5

This is the fifth of the Family Justice Narratives. You can find out what the Family Justice Narratives are all about and how to get involved here. NARRATIVE NO 5 : Anonymous Advice Worker The questions: Tell us where you fit in (solicitor, barrister, social worker, guardian, judge, researcher, court staff, something else) Tell us about your [...]

Focus on my good side

Argh. Off to the Law Society in a minute to film a videocast (that’s a film to you plebs) about Litigants in Person, aimed at solicitors. Will be surrounded by the great and the good in the shape of Andrew Hopper QC and Mr Justice Ryder. I am not a fan of being filmed, especially [...]

Damn your eyes you contemptible scoundrel!

You know those times when checking the to-do list doesn’t calm you down? That. So in lieu of a calm considered post (or even in lieu of a lengthy and time consuming but ill considered ranty post) please accept the following offerings: Contempt: Don’t be in it to win it. You’d think that journalists that [...]

Out On A Technicality

I complain often enough about the LSC finding pathetic technicalities upon which to base the rejection of my claims for payment for work done (most recently a five figure sum which relates to work between 6 and 18 months ago on a single case, but more frequently the rejection of a smaller claim because I [...]

Disingenuous Cowards

Ken Clarke has aroused the ire of many lawyers and many non-lawyers of this week for his remarks in an interview with the James Lewis for the International Bar Association. You can watch the video here. Following is an imperfect transcript of the relevant bits. The part that has really worked everyone up into a [...]

And for tonight’s rant…

…I shall mostly be complaining about section 20 of the Children Act. It’s a well intentioned provision, but often exploited and misused in ways which make my blood boil. s20, for those who don’t know, is a provision which places a duty upon Local Authorities to accommodate children who have no available parent or who [...]

FOI about LIPs from MOJ is FFS and OMG then AAK

I recently received a response to my Freedom of Information Request to the Ministry of Justice concerning private family cases and litigants in person. It’s a little impenetrable, so to help break through to what it means I’m going to run through it. First, read the response here. The information comes from the HMCS FamilyMan [...]

Government Consults on Clare’s Law

Theresa May this week launched a long awaited consultation on so called Clare’s Law, about which I have written before in the Guardian. It’s proper name is the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. I’ve written about this before, when Clare’s Law was no more than a twinkle in a Minister’s eye. It’s helpful to have some more [...]

Go Solo To Gain Tactical Advantage?

A letter to the Law Society Gazette last week from a family solicitor suggested that the represented litigant is now at a distinct disadvantage when appearing opposite a litigant in person. Caroline Goorney wrote that: “The rise of the litigant in person is an inevitable fact of life, but their favourable treatment by the courts is [...]

FLBA Resolutions

The following resolutions were unanimously approved at the national meeting of the Family Law Bar Association on 17th September 2011. They have been sent to the Government : The FLBA calls on the Government to include in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (“the Bill”) a specific provision requiring the Lord Chancellor, in the [...]