Report of the inaugural APPG meeting of the new Parliament – 12.07.2017
From Grenfell Tower to unrepresented children to the collapse in legal aid providers, LASPO impedes access to justice
“Where is the Rule of Law when Parliament denies justice to those who can least afford it?”
Carol Storer, the director of Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG), joined us as a guest speaker to discuss what happens next for legal aid, following this month’s election. Ollie introduced Carol, noting that we had expected this meeting to be about the implications of a significant Conservative majority government. However, we now have a hung Parliament with a minority Conservative government, and a strengthened Labour party which is the most pro-access to justice in recent memory.
Carol covered a number of topics on upcoming challenges and opportunities, including:
YLAL co-chair Oliver Carter's latest article for the JusticeGap, published in May 2017 covers our pre-election debate on access to justice featuring lawyer-politician representatives of the Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties.
You can read the rest of Ollie's articles published on The Justice Gap through his author archive
On Wednesday 10 May 2017, Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) held a pre-general election debate at Garden Court Chambers in London on Access to Justice After the Election, with representatives of the main political parties setting out their respective policies on legal aid and access to justice.
The panel consisted of:
On 11 May 2017, YLAL responded to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Consultation on Legal Aid Financial Eligibility and Universal Credit. The MoJ states that it is consulting on the impact of changes to the benefits system - specifically the introduction of Universal Credit to replace a number of previous benefits - on financial eligibility for legal aid.
On 17 January 2017, The All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) on Legal aid, on Pro Bono and on Public Legal Education came together for the first time to host a conversation with Sir Oliver Heald QC, the Minister of State for Courts and Justice. YLAL jointly co-ordinates the APPG on Legal Aid with the Legal Aid Practitioners Group.
At the joint meeting, the Minister kicked off the meeting with a speech laying out the MoJ’s current priorities in this area:
1. Reform of the courts;
"Insightful and practical; exactly what any aspiring lawyer needs to achieve success"
Jack Bizzell – Staffordshire University Student – LLB Hons Law 2 Year Fast Track
On 28 March 2017, Staffordshire University Law School was delighted to host a joint event between Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) and Aspiring Solicitors (AS). Nearly 80 people attended the event, including a number of solicitors and barristers from Stoke and Manchester.
On 24 March 2017, YLAL responded to the Ministry of Justice Consultation on the Litigators’ Graduated Fee Scheme (LGFS) and Court Appointees. Our full response to the consultation is attached below.
The LGFS is the scheme through which criminal defence solicitors are paid for publicly funded work carried out in the Crown Court. The consultation proposes the following reforms to Crown Court work:
On 16 March 2017, YLAL responded to the Ministry of Justice Consultation on the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme: Commissioning Sustainable Services. Our full consultation response is attached to this page.
