I’ve been hoarding interesting links and things to post about, but I just can’t seem to find time to post at the moment. I’m going to purge all these bits and bobs and begin anew. Do not expect a theme or thread.
I have just completed my response to the Legal Aid Green Paper (finally). If you’ve not done yours you have until noon on Valentine’s Day (monday). If you don’t have time to do a complete response you should at least send Ken Clarke a Valentine telling him how much you love legal aid. Also launching a campaign in support of legal aid is the Law Society, theirs is called Sound off for Justice.
Last week there was a debate in the Commons about cuts to legal aid, started by Yvonne Fovargue, who is behind the early day motion that is being supported by the Justice For All Campaign.
More on legal aid, this time in the form of an article in The Guardian case studying recipients of legal aid, and highlighting the narrow definition of d.v.
On the topic of divorce, I particularly liked this story of marital skullduggery. There are now 51 ways to go about leaving your lover (or to be more precise to ensure she can’t come back). Thanks Lowering the Bar. The Telegraph ran a piece on a plan to provide couples with free counselling to cut the cost of broken homes (the idea apparently being to try and prevent relationship breakdown), the most offensive part of which was the assumption that women can be placated by cheap commercialised romantic gesture rather than substance. Hardly wisdom that will keep together truly ailing relationships.
El Presidente Wall continues his PR mission on behalf of the family justice system by publishing a judgment in an intractable contact dispute by way of illustrative example (thanks Family Lore). I understand he was also on Radio 5 Live this morning around 10, so you may want to seek that out on iPlayer too.
Finally, the Human Rights Lawyers Association is recruiting.
[Edited: Finally finally, forgot to mention this pen picture (keyboard picture??) of a day in the Principal Veg, involving an anonymised legal buddy of mine. It’s pretty accurate.]
That was cathartic. I will sleep soundly now.
Well,I have sent my Valentine to Ken. I hope everyone finds time to do at least that, and hopefully respond to the Green Paper and perhaps contact their local MP. I doubt whether it will have a great effect, but it will be no good complaining after the event if you do not register your displeasure now.
Familoo, I think many of us would be interested to learn what your crystal ball shows for the bar if these legal aid cuts come into effect.
By the way, the CO was pleased to receive my cheap(ish)commercialised romantic flowers earlier today 🙂
My crystal ball shows doom. I can’t bear to look too closely.
I think the bar will adapt, but it will be much smaller and will have to embrace new business models. I think those who are likely to still be at the bar in 5 years are those that are best able to adapt, not necessarily those who are the most skilled in advocacy and the most experienced in their field of law.
What do you think?
My feeling is that the majority at the bar are burying their heads in the sand. In terms of family work, I think there is little future for the bar. The cuts to public funding will mean that solicitors will have to find ways to maximise their income, and one of those ways will be to do their own advocacy.
However, I was engaged in a two day contest earlier this week (intractable contact dispute, you know the sort of thing) and I asked my opposition why he wasn’t doing it himself – “counsel was cheaper” came the reply.
Oh dear, perhaps the bar will have to reconsider a reasonable level of income.
thanks. completely depressed now.