Young witnesses: new judicial protocol published
A new protocol between the police, CPS and HMCTS on handling witnesses under 10 years of age has been published. It aims to maximise the opportunity for young witnesses to provide their best evidence,...
View ArticleSolicitor advocate Joe Egan elected Law Society Deputy Vice President
Egan, who specialises in criminal law, will take office as deputy vice president in July this year, when Jonathan Smithers becomes president and Robert Bourns takes over as vice president
View ArticleAdvocate’s Gateway International Conference announced for June
The Advocacy Training Council and the Advocate’s Gateway are holding their first international conference, Addressing Vulnerability in Justice Systems, on Saturday, 20 June
View ArticleLitigants in Person guidelines published
The Law Society, the Bar Council and CILEx have developed guidelines for lawyers who come up against people representing themselves in court
View ArticleAdvocacy fees unaffected in latest round of legal aid cuts
Further criminal legal aid fee cuts of 8.75% in effect from 1 July, but advocacy stays untouched
View ArticleSupreme Court dismisses QASA appeal
Decision paves the way for the controversial scheme to go ahead
View ArticleCourts set for vulnerable witness reform
Modernisation of the way in which the family courts deal with vulnerable people could be introduced before the end of the year, says Sir James Munby
View ArticleLaw Society president responds to comments on quality of family advocacy...
Law Society president Jonathan Smithers has written to justice minister Shailesh Vara in response to comments from the Bar Council and the Family Law Bar Association (FLBA) on the quality of family...
View ArticleNew fixed fees for VHCC care cases
Very High Cost Case care cases for a single advocate or solicitor-advocate to operate under new fixed fee model from 1 October 2015
View ArticleMOJ consultation on criminal advocacy reforms: have your say
The MOJ has launched a consultation on reforms to criminal advocacy, with a proposed prospective ban on referral fees and restrictions on solicitors using their own in-house advocates. We urge members...
View ArticleLaw Society comments on MoJ consultation on criminal advocacy
An opinion piece by Law Society president Jonathan Smithers in the Gazette makes clear the Law Society’s dismay at Ministry of Justice proposals to ban own-firm instructions. The president also...
View ArticleSAHCA sets up referral site for solicitor advocates
The solicitor-advocate network site aims to address the problem solicitor-advocates encounter when they receive instructions for work outside their region or in a field they are not specialised in,...
View ArticleRespond to MoJ consultation on criminal advocacy by 27 November
We are urging all Advocacy Section members to respond to the MoJ’s consultation on criminal advocacy by 27 November
View ArticleLaw Society will strongly oppose measures to restrict use of in-house advocates
Society’s response to MoJ consultation on criminal advocacy says it is strongly opposed to suggestions that instructing in-house advocates represents a conflict of interest.
View ArticleNational roll-out for Crown Court Digital Case System
Legal Aid Agency publishes details on national implementation of online system that has been trialled in several courts around the country
View ArticleGovernment opens ‘unduly lenient sentences’ appeals work to more advocates
Government launches pilot to allow more prosecutors to conduct unduly lenient sentences on its behalf
View ArticleSRA to ask if solicitors contribute to ‘decline in criminal advocacy’
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to investigate whether solicitors are contributing to a decline in criminal advocacy.
View ArticleTraining for advocates: take the Law Society survey
The Law Society is keen to better understand the advocacy training market - please help us by taking our short survey
View ArticleParliamentary report puts finger on rise in number of LiPs
Non-partisan study adds to body of evidence attributing rise in litigants in person to cuts in legal aid
View ArticleFacilitator opportunities for vulnerable witness training
The Law Society is looking for solicitors to become lead facilitators to train solicitor advocates as part of the vulnerable witnesses training programme, launching this summer
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