On 20 June 2019, YLAL Midlands hosted an event on the law relating to refugees and migrants and the increasing difficulties that individuals face in seeking safety or a better life in the UK. We also began discussions on building networks between lawyers, charities and community groups to empower individuals seeking to exercise their rights.
YLAL submitted the following responses to the Ministry of Justice's survey on the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS):
Considering the scheme as a whole, are you able to give examples of what works well?
YLAL issues statement on the Criminal Bar Association vote to take action.
On 10 April 2019, Parliament held a debate on the availability of legal aid for bereaved families at inquests, particularly those in which State agents are legally represented. Attached to this page is a helpful summary of the issues raised during the debate . YLAL are grateful to volunteer Freya Oldaker for preparing this summary.
Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) welcomes the publication today (22 May 2019) of the final report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Philip Alston, following his visit to the United Kingdom in November 2018.
The UN Special Rapporteur rightly states that legal aid has been "dramatically reduced" in England and Wales since the introduction of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). The report notes that the number of cases funded by civil legal aid "declined by a staggering 82 per cent between 2010-11 and 2017-18".
Welcome to our update of the latest legal aid and access to justice news from March 2019.
Sir Henry Brooke essay prize: On 16 March, at the second “Young Lawyers Making Change” conference, which we hosted with the Legal Education Foundation and Public Law Project, we launched the first Sir Henry Brooke Essay Prize.
Following his death in January 2018, the Sir Henry Brooke Essay Prize seeks to honour the legacy of Sir Henry Brooke, a former Court of Appeal judge who became a tireless campaigner on issues including access to justice during his retirement.
Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) notes the media reports stating that legal aid funding will be granted to Shamima Begum, the Bethnal Green schoolgirl who travelled to Syria to join ISIS at the age of 15.
YLAL staunchly believes that public funding should be available to all those who cannot afford to pay for their own legal advice and representation. Access to justice is a fundamental human right, and a crucial component of the rule of law in our democratic society.
Following his death in January 2018, the Sir Henry Brooke Essay Prize seeks to honour the legacy of Sir Henry Brooke, a former Court of Appeal judge who became a tireless campaigner during retirement on issues including access to justice.
Welcome to our update of the latest legal aid and access to justice news from January and February 2019.
We are delighted to be hosting our second joint conference with Public Law Project and the Legal Education Foundation's Justice First Fellows on Saturday 16 March 2019 at BPP Waterloo in London.
