Pink Tape

a blog from the family bar

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 [...]

Losing Track – four nil?

I’ve been a bit tied up with work of late, and I see that whilst my back has turned the LSC has crashed and burned in yet another JR (thanks LAG Blog)  in respect of their tender process – immigration this time. I wonder how many families could have been provided advice and representation from the [...]

Willy Wonka’s Spending Review

At the risk of becoming monotonous, news of the demise of family legal aid is not greatly exaggerated. The headlines yesterday were full of 30% MoJ cuts, with the heft of those cuts falling to be met by shrinkage of the legal aid budget. We will wait until Wednesday to find out quite how bad [...]

Law Society Launch JR of LSC

Everyone’s at it. Now the Law Society has launched a JR of the LSC in respect of their tender process in family matters. See the Gazette. As reported yesterday another JR application yesterday got off to a positive start, with Collins J describing the LSC’s approach as irrational. That matter was adjourned off for 8 [...]

Love me Tender

Nearly Legal has posted a really important blog post on the LSCs shifting position on the question of matter starts given to firms under the recent tender process. He suggests that the LSCs new position may now put it in breach of its own tender rules and at risk of legal challenge from firms who [...]

Clear as mud

Nearly Legal clarifies the unclarified about the LSC family legal aid tenders.

Rozenberg on MoJ Cuts

Joshua Rozenberg warns of injudicious cost cutting of courts and legal aid: Many of the economies we can expect will be false ones. Cutting legal aid will simply lead to more litigants in person. Cases will take longer and court costs will rise. Vulnerable children will be at greater risk. There will be more miscarriages [...]

Smorgasbord

I managed to get away from court early today. No stringing things out just to earn an extra bob or two for me. No, common sense and good counsel prevailed and the public purse has been saved a pretty penny and justice done etc etc. But as always there is much to do back in [...]

WHY CARE?

Background to this post appears here. . Alas, this is not the beautifully crafted discussion piece I had wanted to post, but I cannot devote as much time to this as I would like, and so I offer it as your starter for ten in its slightly disjointed and unpolished form… . Firstly, let me [...]

It’s Carnage Out There In The Desert

LAG reports on the slashing of the numbers of legal aid solicitors up and down the country as a result of the tendering process – from 2400 to 1300 in one fell swoop. It’s pretty disastrous. I understand that there are now only approximately 5 firms in the whole of Cornwall able to undertake family [...]

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  • About

    A blog in which I ricochet from too serious to too flippant, and alternate between a bit clever, a bit interesting and a bit ranty: Pink Tape neatly functions as both a blog about family law and a therapeutic escape valve for me. >>more




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