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The Ministry of Justice has now published its review of legal aid cuts introduced through legislation passed in 2012 (hence, its formal title of Post Implementation Review of Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 ‘the LASPO review”) and an accompanying action plan ‘to deliver better support to people … Continue reading Legal Aid in England and Wales: accentuating the positive
Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), responsible for court administration in England and Wales, pays considerable attention to public presentation of its online court modernisation programme, which it boasts as the most ambitious in the world. The previous blog questioned its somewhat relentless optimism. Now, we discover (credit here for Legal Futures that first raised this) … Continue reading Online Court Plans: now you see them – now you don’t
The Online Courts programme for England and Wales has, once again, come under informed criticism by a Parliamentary Committee. This time it is Public Accounts. Its damning criticisms echo those of the National Audit Office reported in May and the headline comment was: ‘We have little confidence that HMCTS [Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service] … Continue reading Online Courts: identifying and evaluating the impact on access to justice
Two recently published reports discuss the degree and nature of assistance that users require in dealing with ODR provision within the official court process. Both relate to the proposals in England and Wales for an online court system, particularly in relation to small claims. One is from the advocacy group, JUSTICE and entitled Preventing Digital … Continue reading Assistance with digital ODR: singing from one songsheeet
The legal aid cuts implemented by the Coalition Government in 2012 through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASP)) were severe. Their prime aim was intended to ‘make significant savings to the cost of the scheme’. And they did – reducing expenditure by about a third. Now the Ministry of Justice … Continue reading The Legal Aid Review in England and Wales: Four Starters