What is this all about?
The Government has announced a new consultation on cuts to criminal legal aid, specifically its plans to reduce the number of contracts that let firms do “duty solicitor” work. The Government wants to drop the number of contracts from the current figure of around 1,600 contracts to 525.
The Justice Select Committee (JSC) has set up an inquiry into the impact of the changes brought about by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) from 1 April 2013. The JSC has asked for evidence on a number of different questions including the impact of the domestic violence gateway, the cuts to scope and the impact on the number of litigants in person. The questions are available to view via the JSC website here.
YLAL has responded to the new consultation of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, "Training for Tomorrow: Regulation Review".
This consultation aims to remove unnecessary regulatory burdens and improve processes for the regulator. It is part of a wider package of reform for the SRA’s regulatory framework for legal education and training.
YLAL has submitted its response to the Government consultation, Transforming Legal Aid: next steps. You can read more about the consultation here. And you can download our response from below.
We have now submitted our response to the Government consultation, "Judicial Review: Proposals for Further Reform". For the background to the consultation see here. Our draft is available to download below.
YLAL has submitted evidence to the JCHR as part of their inquiry into the implications for access to justice of the Government's legal aid reforms. The submissions can be accessed via the link below.
A new consultation on Judicial Review
YLAL has sent in our response to the latest Government proposals to "reform" the legal aid system. The full response can be accessed here. Read about the background to the proposals here. Thank you to all our members who contributed to our response.
On 9 April 2013 the Ministry of Justice issued a consultation paper entitled ‘Transforming Legal Aid’. The deadline to respond is 4 June 2013.
The consultation paper announces a further round of cuts to legal aid, following closely in the wake of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) which came into force on 1 April 2013.
