Family Justice Review Interim Report

The interim report of the FJR has been published today. This post represents very much an interim analysis of that interim report (is it hyperinterim, adopting the style all the most fashionable injunctions?). I’m pleased to say that quite a lot of what is in the report was contained in the paper presented to the FJR [...]

Unsung Heroes

I used to refer students to the Mary Ward Legal Centre when I was President of the SU at Birkbeck College. They were invaluable and I know helped several of my students facing homelessness or debt problems (most student’s at Birkbeck are mature students, many with families). I’m glad to see they are still doing [...]

BBC Coverage of Legal Aid Reforms

There are considerable concerns within the family courts about the government’s plans to remove legal aid from private law cases. Sanchia Berg reports for the BBC on the po ssible impact of the changes. Apologies for delay in reporting – I blame the exploding boiler chez familoo which has left my fingers too frozen to [...]

Green Paper on Legal Aid Initial Observations #3: What About Enforcement?

See previous posts here and here. At pa 4.14 it is said that the following are at the highest end of a spectrum of objective importance: ‘cases where the individual’s life is at stake, or they are at risk of serious physical harm. Also of high importance are cases where the individual’s liberty is at [...]

Green Paper on Legal Aid Initial Observations #2: Family mediation in private law family cases

This should be read in conjunction with my earlier post on the Green Paper as it relates to domestic violence. It is said at 4.69 of the paper that wherever possible, it would be in the best interest of those involved in private law family cases which do not involve domestic violence to take a [...]

Green Paper on Legal Aid – Initial Observations #1: Domestic Violence

I’ve decided to post several shorter posts about the green paper on legal aid published yesterday. This one will deal with domestic violence. First some groundwork. The paper proposes that whilst the scope of legal aid will be shrunk, it will remain available for categories of work or in respect of classes of people the [...]

Legal Aid Green Paper Published

Difficult to work out from the rather sketchy news reports how this will impact on family law apart from ‘massively’. More info from the Guardian here and the green paper itself is available in all its 224 page majesty here. I will post again when I have digested it, but headlines appear to be: no [...]

Round Up

A few oddments observed over the last week or so: Lord Justice Goldring has raised concerns about the impact of the proposed court closure programme on family justice. A number of magistrates courts which incorporate FPCs are likely to be affected. If family proceedings were consolidated into the County Court before DJs this would present [...]

Decision to Scrap – Scrapped

News just in courtesy of the FLBA. In an unexpected announcement Jonathan Djanogly MP yesterday reversed the abolition of court fees for local authorities in care and supervision proceedings.  When these fees were introduced the FLBA strongly opposed them – as indeed did the Law Society, and the NSPCC. Four councils launched a judicial review [...]

President’s Interim Guidance Extended Again

I don’t think this will come as any enormous surprise. Based on a quick squint at it in teeny scale on my phone it does represent a certain shift if emphasis however. See here: http://www.familylaw.co.uk/articles/Cafcass011010