Green Paper On Legal Aid Initial Observations #4: Private Law Children Cases

I write this on the train to the FLBA conference in Leeds. I have typed and lost it several times and have resolved to post it before it once again disappears into the ether. You will therefore have to excuse any jerkiness, repetition or overlong sentences. I wanted to post and so I post in [...]

Djanogly Nerves

To members of the bar and solicitors: Jonathan Djanogly MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, will discuss the Green Paper on Legal Aid Reform at the next meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Legal and Constitutional Affairs (APPG). This meeting will take place on Wednesday 24 November at 2:00pm, Committee Room 14 at the [...]

Legal Aid League Table

I have been wondering about the assertion that we spend far more on legal aid than other countries, an assertion which underpins the Green Paper. I had toyed with the idea of making a stab at unpicking that assertion – but the UK Human Rights Blog has done it for me, and a fine job [...]

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 [...]