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 [...]
Trying To End Things
I’ve had two very different articles published today, both about attempts to end things: an article on the bringing to a close of children proceedings through the making of orders under s91(14) Children Act 1989: Section 91(14) Orders – A Never Ending Story? (Family Law Week), and an article on the attempt to bring an end [...]
Summary of Legal Aid Reforms to Family Law
Nearly Legal has provided an excellent summary of the legal aid reforms in respect of housing and other areas of law: Ask not for whom the bill tolls. Due to other commitments I have not been able to put together a full analysis of the Bill insofar as is relates to family law. That will [...]
Sound Off For Justice
A further excellent video from the Sound Off For Justice campaign. It’s not just access to justice in family cases that will be decimated, as this clip of a sexual harassment related unfair dismissal demonstrates.
Justice Select Committee Report Published
The Justice Select Committee today published it’s report on the Government’s proposed reforms of legal aid. I am reliably informed that family justice features heavily in the report, which adopts much of what the FLBA has had to say on the matter about the potential adverse impact of the proposals on children, and the inapposite [...]
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 [...]
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