Desmond Browne
The Bar Council attended all three major political party conferences this year. Our involvement in these events provided us with useful opportunities to meet various politicians and to share our ideas about the justice agenda. In these recessionary times, and given that we are, in the words of the Legal Services Commission, “celebrating” 60 years of legal aid, it will come as no surprise that I used these opportunities to brief ministers and opposition portfolio-holders on access to justice, legal aid funding, and the impact that cuts to the legal aid budget will have on vulnerable members of society who may be unable to obtain the representation they need.
The government should act now to counter concerns about the Legal Services Bill’s threat to independence, says Desmond Browne QC
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NLJ career profile: Liz McGrath KC
A good book, a glass of chilled Albarino, and being creative for pleasure help Liz McGrath balance the rigours of complex bundles and being Head of Chambers
Burges Salmon—Matthew Hancock-Jones
Firm welcomes director in its financial services financial regulatory team
Gateley Legal—Sam Meiklejohn
Partner appointment in firm’s equity capital markets team
Walkers and runners will take in some of London’s finest views at the 16th annual charity event
Law school partners with charity to give free assistance to litigants in need
Could the Labour government usher in a new era for digital assets, ask Keith Oliver, head of international, and Amalia Neenan FitzGerald, associate, Peters & Peters, in this week’s NLJ
An extra bit is being added to case citations to show the pecking order of the judges concerned. Former district judge Stephen Gold has the details, in his ‘Civil way’ column in this week’s NLJ
The Labour government’s position on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is not yet clear
