Today’s announcement by the Lord Chancellor of a consultation on increasing fees for two critical areas of civil legal aid represents a significant step forward. It represents a continuation of the positive shift in approach by this government after decades of regressive policymaking in relation to legal aid. It is also encouraging that the [...]
Something incredible happened 75 years ago today. The Legal Aid and Advice Act 1949 received royal assent, paving the way for the establishment of the legal aid scheme. The scheme was described by the AG at the time as a ‘charter of the little man to the British courts of justice […] without regard [...]
Nominations for 2024 awards close: 22 April; winners announced: 5 July. LAPG is proud to launch the 2024 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards, the only annual event solely dedicated to celebrating the work of grassroots social justice lawyers. This year marks the 22nd anniversary of these non-profit-making awards, which [...]
Family of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life after viewing online material 'romanticising self-harm', their lawyers and those providing IT and media support, received LALY judges' top accolade. Deighton Pierce Glynn named Legal Aid Firm of the Year for its 'life-saving work' for former MoD interpreters in Afghanistan at risk from Taliban [...]
LAPG is extremely saddened by the news that Mackintosh Law is winding down its services. The specialist mental capacity and community care law firm has been a member of LAPG since it was established and has a national reputation for cutting edge caselaw for vulnerable and disabled people. The firm has also been at [...]
Following a long engagement and consultation process, the Government has now published its response to the Legal Aid Means Test Review. This sets out the changes it intends to make to the process of determining who is financially eligible to receive civil and criminal legal aid services in England and Wales. The Government has [...]
This year's LALY finalists include: the young barrister who founded Black Protest Legal Support; young law centre solicitor who won additional financial support to protect asylum seekers from destitution; lawyers who have brought multiple successful challenges over the British government's refusal to relocate Afghan nationals at risk from the Taliban. Legal Aid Practitioners Group [...]
Nominations close: 24 April 2023; winners announced: 12 July. Legal Aid Practitioners Group is proud to launch the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards, the only annual event solely dedicated to celebrating the work of grassroots social justice lawyers. This year marks the 21st anniversary of these non-profit-making awards; and we are [...]
The government announcement yesterday that it will carry out a formal review of the civil legal aid system, to include independent research and analysis, is a welcome admission that so much more needs to be done to ensure that access to justice is a reality for all citizens and not simply empty rhetoric. However, we [...]
The lawyer acting for an autistic teenager denied a potentially life-saving kidney transplant; one of the defence solicitors in the Colston Four case; and the first UK university advice clinic to secure a legal aid contract, are among the 29 individuals and six organisations selected as LALY22 finalists. New for LALY22: Legal Aid Support Staffer [...]