Legal Aid

Articles

15 Dec 2009

Police to decide on 'virtual court' hearings

It will be up to the police to decide whether a defendant's case will proceed immediately after his arrest in front of magistrates via a video-link under new plans unveiled by the government today.

15 Dec 2009

Commission launches reforms to insurance disclosure rules

The Law Commission has published a draft Bill to reform the law of disclosure in consumer insurance contracts, putting insurers under a greater duty to ask specific questions rather than rely on consumers to volunteer information.

15 Dec 2009

Interim solution

The Court of Appeal has given clear guidance as to how judges should approach applications for interim payments, but the guidelines must be carefully applied in line with the particular facts of a case, says David Oldham

14 Dec 2009

Government launches review of out-of-court disposals

The government is to review the use of out-of-court disposals such as cautions and on-the-spot fines following disquiet over reports that they were being used in cases were offenders should be formally charged.

10 Dec 2009

Law Society threatens legal action over fate of LCS complaints staff

The Law Society has today threatened legal action over the fate of 370 Legal Complaints Service staff, currently employed in Leamington Spa and London.

9 Dec 2009

Solicitor advocates could become barristers, Bar chairman suggests

Nicholas Green QC, new chairman of the Bar Council, has shown he is prepared to think the unthinkable by suggesting that solicitor advocates could in the future be regulated as barristers.

8 Dec 2009

Commission's "cost-cutting" VHCC scheme angers barristers and solicitors

lawyers have reacted angrily to an announcement from the LSC that one option for 'very high cost' criminal cases would be to extend the limits for the standard graduated fee scheme from cases lasting 40 days to 60 days.

8 Dec 2009

Disabled campaigner challenges assisted suicide ruling

A wheelchair-bound patient who suffers from spina bifida, hydrocephalus, emphysema, osteoporosis and arthritis has challenged the House of Lords' decision in Debbie Purdy's assisted suicide case, claiming that Lord Phillips, one of the law lords ruling in the case, was biased.