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25 November 2010 / Adam Makepeace
Issue: 7443 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus
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Evolution not revolution?

The net result of government plans to wipe £350m off the legal aid budget is an attack on the welfare of some of the most vulnerable members of our society and it will be up to those of us working in the sector to rise to the challenge if we want to preserve our clients’ access to justice.

A reduction in legal aid funding need not spell disaster, says Adam Makepeace

The net result of government plans to wipe £350m off the legal aid budget is an attack on the welfare of some of the most vulnerable members of our society and it will be up to those of us working in the sector to rise to the challenge if we want to preserve our clients’ access to justice. We can argue at the margins about a cut here and there or we can find ways to continue to give our clients the voice they deserve in the legal system.

A significant facet of the impending legal aid revolution will be an acceleration of the consolidation of legal aid businesses. However, the Law Society’s

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NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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