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 [...]
On 21 February 2024 we submitted our response to the Ministry of Justice's Review of Civil Legal Aid Call for Evidence. Our response provides a detailed explanation of the myriad issues undermining the ability of legal aid practitioners to meet the needs of clients. In particular, we focused on the following key, overarching issues: [...]
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 [...]
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 government is set to lift the stay on housing possession cases on 23 August 2020. Many have voiced considerable concern about the potential flood of evictions that will arise once court proceedings resume due to the economic impact of the pandemic. The MoJ and HMCTS have been working closely with legal aid providers [...]
LAPG publishes the Legal Aid Census – the first piece of research of its kind to look at the social justice sector as a whole. Unique research tells the story of legal aid lawyers across England and Wales - from entry to the profession, throughout their careers, and beyond. As legal aid deserts spread throughout [...]
We have today published our response to the Ministry of Justice's consultation: Housing Legal Aid: the way forward - A consultation on the future of the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme. In our response we acknowledge the positive and constructive concepts mooted by the MOJ to improve both the long-term viability of duty schemes and [...]
Lawyers across England and Wales are urged to 'stand up and be counted', by taking part in a unique drive to gather data from the legal aid front line. LAPG survey has been devised in conjunction with leading legal academics from Newcastle University Law School, Cardiff University and University College London who will be analysing [...]