Financial remedy copy; Civil legal aid eligibility; Secret commission; Interim costs whopper; Right to Buy hit
SNIFFING AROUND WITH NOTEBOOK
The reporting pilot scheme which has been embracing financial remedy proceedings at the Central Family Court and in Birmingham and Leeds hit the Royal Courts of Justice on 11 November 2024. More concerning is that the pilot was extended to public and private law cases before magistrates in all 19 current pilot areas from 4 November 2024.
BETTER THAN NOTHING
The Ministry of Justice’s legal aid means test review which closed two and a half years ago led to the Civil and Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources and Contribution Orders) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/1074) limping into force on 20 November 2024. On the civil side, they will let in a modest number of applicants who have been shut out on eligibility grounds, and transitional provisions allow those funded with contributions to seek a reassessment. A series of mandatory disregards is introduced and amended (such as infected blood and modern slavery compensation) along with discretionary disregards (such as Grenfell Tower compensation).
