Exceptional funding update
Exceptional legal aid funding
Thank you to everyone who attended our talk on exceptional legal aid funding on Wednesday 8 July despite a tube strike. We would like to give a special thank you to our speakers Paul Bowen QC and Alison Pickup who also attended the APG on legal aid earlier in the day to tell parliamentarians about the exceptional funding scheme.
You can download the presentations here:
Notes on making ECF applications – by Daniel Anderson with Carita Thomas (file too big for the website – so these will be uploaded soon, please check back next week!)
Some key cases
Gudanaviciene & Ors v Director of Legal Aid Casework & Anor [2014] EWHC 1840 (Admin) (13 June 2014)
Read a report on the case of Letts by our co-chair Oliver Carter here.
Government guidance
A link to the Government’s materials about applying for both legal aid providers and applicants in person, forms to use and the Lord Chancellor’s funding guidance: www.gov.uk/legal-aid-apply-for-exceptional-case-funding
Specialist help for applicants
The Public Law Project has been running a project assisting with ECF applications since April 2013, and can advise on how to make them, assist with making them in some cases, and also try to assist individuals who can’t find a legal aid provider. www.publiclawproject.org.uk/exceptional-funding-project
Share knowledge
Want to join an online discussion group for sharing information about applications? It is for advisers and people supporting applicants. The idea is to post questions you have and get help and moral support from others online. If you would like to join please contact the group owners with your email address and place of work: ecf-discussion+owners@googlegroups.com
More useful information
Please find attached some training materials prepared by Connor Johnston in relation to housing cases which are from 2013 (so please read alongside the updates in case law and guidance since then).
Lastly, thank you to our vice chair Deena Blacking for coordinating the event, and to Brick Court Chambers for hosting us so generously and providing refreshments afterwards.