Access to Justice for people in custody during the COVID-19 pandemic
LAPG and APL have written to the Lord Chancellor about practical arrangements for private legal consultations with people in custody during the current ‘lockdown’ period. During this time people in prison continue to have urgent legal matters across all areas of law that require them to have contact with their lawyers. Read the full letter... continue reading
Community Care Judicial Review and Legal Aid – The need for Delegated Functions and preventing work at risk
HLPA, LCN and LAPG have written to the Ministry of Justice calling for urgent changes to the JR regulations which are impeding access to justice during these extraordinary times, putting people at risk as the Government has removed statutory duties to assess and provide care to adults and has provided local government with wide discretionary... continue reading
Latest LAPG Member Update (11 of 2020)
During these unprecedented and worrying times we are publishing some of our Member Updates as and when they contain information of general use to the sector. Update 11 of 2020 covers: LAPG requests urgent financial relief for providers from the LAA New LAPG Covid-19 helpline for legal aid providers to start imminently DG Legal FAQs... continue reading
Updated LAPG Guidance on what the Legal Aid Contract and LAA COVID-19 Guidance Allows
With thanks again to consultant Matthew Howgate, we have published the following updated guidance on Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contract compliance in the wake of the measures introduced by the LAA and the steps that providers are needing to take during the COVID-19 crisis. This guidance takes into account and seeks to interpret LAA guidance... continue reading
LAPG Guidance on what the Legal Aid Contract and LAA COVID-19 Guidance Allows
With thanks to consultant Matthew Howgate, we have published the following guidance on Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contract compliance in the wake of the measures introduced by the LAA and the steps that providers are needing to take during the COVID-19 crisis. This guidance takes into account and seeks to interpret LAA guidance released here... continue reading
Is there a ‘culture of refusal’ within the LAA? We need your views
In recent weeks we have been working with a group of experienced legal aid lawyers to try to get a better understanding of what appears to be a growing and pressing problem: the apparent ‘culture of refusal’ within the LAA. We have agreed that to gauge the extent of this issue we need a broader... continue reading
MOJ Publishes the LASPO Post-Implementation Review – Does It Go Far Enough?
Press Release Ministry of Justice’s Post-Implementation Review of Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) The report is an overdue recognition of the crisis in access to justice, triggered by LASPO. Many of the recommendations for the future are positive, but much more is needed to remedy the... continue reading
Latest legal aid statistics show worrying downward trend in access
The government released the official legal aid statistic on 13 December 2018, brining the data set up to date to 30 September 2018. Worryingly, crime expenditure and workload have both decreased. Fewer civil legal help matters have been started, continuing the trend since the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). Mediation... continue reading
Joining the Dots: Domestic abuse, civil and criminal justice and technology
Joining the Dots: Domestic abuse, civil and criminal justice and technology Crest Advisory and CGI have undertaken a partnership research project to identify ways to address the twenty-first century challenges of tackling domestic abuse across the justice system and beyond. Domestic abuse is a prevalent, high-impact crime with widespread and lasting consequences. Today in England and Wales... continue reading