All Legal aid and access to justice articles
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NewsCriminal legal aid rates rise by further 12%
Increase takes total uplift to 24% - but Law Society warns this may not be enough to halt the exodus of duty solicitors.
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NewsJustice committee: Lord chancellor pledges extra 2,000 court sitting days - as it happened
Shabana Mahmood makes her first appearance before MPs on the select committee as lord chancellor and justice secretary.
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FeatureA little goes a long way: the Law Society Charity after 50 years
The Law Society Charity supports registered charities whose principal aims are to help members in the areas of access to justice, legal education or human rights.
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NewsNew menopause support network for legal aid lawyers
Solicitor says a lot of menopause support within the legal sector is focused on corporate entities and big institutions.
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FeatureLord Briggs defends fixed recoverable costs regime for professional negligence cases
In a speech for the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association, Lord Briggs championed voluntary adjudication and gave qualified support to the use of fixed costs and one way costs-shifting to promote access to justice.
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NewsSolicitor struck off over unverified legal aid claims
SDT says east London sole practitioner showed ‘total disregard’ for solicitor rules.
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NewsReaction: extra £20m a year for civil legal aid 'encouraging'
Government urged to now invest in all civil legal aid areas and introduce annual fee review mechanism.
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NewsCivil legal aid: minimum 10% fee uplift for housing and immigration lawyers
Ministry of Justice to consult on fee uplift for two of 11 contract areas - the first rise in 30 years.
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NewsWarning over lord chancellor's 'above-inflation legal aid fee increase'
Law firm hints at further legal action if new rates fail to resolve crisis in immigration and asylum legal aid sector.
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NewsData drive to reveal 'hidden costs' of legal aid work
Practitioner groups wants to show government the current legal aid scheme is unnecessarily complex and bureaucratic.
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OpinionHow the Law Society Charity helps firms to help others
The charity uses funds to support organisations working to promote human rights, increase access to justice and to improve legal education in the public domain.
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NewsLaw centre group takes £33k hit from employer NI hike
South West London chief says it would be 'wonderful' if charities were to be exempted from chancellor's tax raid.
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NewsJustice secretary's legal aid advisers call for action on fees
Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board says situation has deteriorated since 2021 Bellamy review called for urgent uplift.
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NewsJustice secretary finds extra cash for criminal legal aid
Lord chancellor announces £18.5m for police station work and £5.1m for youth court fees.
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OpinionThe power of pro bono
Pro bono work taught me how to advocate, how to give my clients a voice and how to seek redress. It taught me how to be a lawyer.
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News'Changing lives': Pro Bono Week gets under way
Law Society urges more solicitors to ‘make a difference’ - but warns that voluntary advice can never be a substitute for legal aid.
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NewsNew MPs urged to 'travel to the legal aid coalface'
Guide and directory to support MPs with constituency casework unveiled at parliamentary event to mark Pro Bono Week.
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NewsIn depth: Freemarket thinktank calls for class action curbs
UK plc stands to suffer ‘enormous damage’ from an ever-expanding class action regime, says the Adam Smith Institute. Counterintuitively, the free-market thinktank wants more regulation – and legal aid.
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NewsCriminal legal aid firms issue new contract warning to Mahmood
Over 100 firms warn justice secretary that they may not sign new legal aid contracts if the government fails to increase their remuneration.
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NewsLanguage services procurement sparks fresh court interpreting row
Interpreting body demands external review of outsourcing model as Lords inquiry gets underway with evidence from Law Society and Bar Council.