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.
On 2 March 2017, YLAL responded to the consultation by the Ministry of Justice on Reforming the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS), the scheme through which criminal defence advocates are paid for publicly funded work carried out in the Crown Court. Our full response to the consultation is attached to this page below.
In January 2017, YLAL responded to the consultation by the Bar Standards Board on the Future Training of the Bar: Future Routes to Authorisation. This follows a previous consultation which closed in October 2015, to which YLAL also responded. You can find our response to the previous consultation here.
We met at the University of Law, Bristol, on 7 February 2017 for our event 'Uncovering the truth behind deaths in custody', hearing from experts on the law and procedures that apply when individuals die in state detention.
