Linda Lee, president of the Law Society, has written to the Justice Secretary calling on him to pause legal aid reforms to allow more scrutiny.

She wrote: “The Legal Action Group (LAG) and the Law Society continue to have very serious reservations about the government’s proposals for changes to legal aid provision in England Read the full story

The Identity Documents Bill abolished identity cards and the national identity register in December 2010. It was the first instalment of the government’s promise to introduce legislation to “restore freedoms and civil liberties through the abolition of identity cards and unnecessary laws.” The Protection of Freedoms Bill, presented to Parliament last week, is the next step. Read the full story

Ken Clarke has been a big beast in the Westminster jungle for a long time and he more than most understands how the pecking order works. A minister’s standing in the eyes of his own and other departments is directly related to his success in standing up to the Treasury in any budgetary negotiations. On this basis, the Ministry of Justice’s above average cut of Read the full story

The tendering process for the Legal Aid scheme for new family law cases is unlawful and must be changed, the High Court ruled last week. The decision follows a three day hearing of the Law Society’s application for judicial review at the Divisional Court. Read the full story

The Law Society found itself on the horns of a dilemma when the recent tender for civil and family legal aid work sparked a row with the LSC. Just over half the firms bidding for family contracts were successful, and the Society says this means businesses will close and people may find it difficult to get a lawyer, especially in rural areas. The new contracts are due to start on 14 October. Read the full story

In February the Legal Services Commission (LSC) announced that, as current civil legal aid contracts come to an end on 13 October 2010, any organisation who wishes to deliver legal aid work in Family (including Family Mediation) or Social Welfare Law from 14 October 2010 would need to apply for Read the full story