This paper considers some of the significant legal aid and access to justice cases since the entry into force of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (‘LASPO’) in April 2013. It is organised thematically, and does not seek to be comprehensive. This paper is from the PLP North Conference 2018. Download
This paper will first summarise the means regulations. It will then explore the discord between the regulations and financial reality, and the way in which this can exclude applicants who lack the resources needed to maintain an acceptable standard of living, let alone pay for legal services. Finally, it will identify two household types who
This guide is intended for individuals who are attending the First-Tier Tribunal for an appeal against a decision taken about a benefit. There is also a short section on appeals in the Upper Tribunal. This guide may be updated from time to time. It is not to be construed as legal advice. This guide is also best read with
This introductory guide explains what public law is, with sections on consultations, complaints procedures and ombudsman schemes, stature appeals and judicial review. An introduction to public law
This guide is intended to assist legal aid providers with a housing contract in determining where it might be appropriate to apply for Exceptional Case Funding (“ECF”) for your clients and to assist advisers in making successful applications for ECF. How-to-get-ECF-in-housing-law
A short guide to making an effective complaint to a public body.
This guide is intended to assist legal aid providers in determining the cases where it might be appropriate to apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) for immigration proceedings, and to assist providers in making successful applications for ECF. Download here
The Legal Aid, Sentencing, and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), and the subsequent secondary legislation, significantly changed the way that civil legal aid operates. Changes were made not only to the scope of legal aid, but also to the procedures and processes that clients and lawyers had to follow in order to access funding
This research briefing explores effects of the LASPO reforms on civil legal aid provision in Wales. It draws on Welsh and UK Government statistics and reports; publications by legal professional bodies, Parliamentary Committees, Independent Commissions and the voluntary sector; academic sources; informal consultations with solicitors and advice charities. Download here
Commissioning and procurement is how government and public bodies (whether they be the NHS, a local council or a government department) make contracts with others to provide services. This could be a one-off contract to build a new road, or to provide long-term healthcare for a town, and anything in between. Commissioning has become more
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) limited the availability of civil legal aid, removing large areas of law from within scope of legal aid. In response to concerns about LASPO, the government included a provision for funding to be made available in certain cases, which would otherwise be outside of
This briefing paper provides an overview of the PLP research report ‘Keys to the Gateway: an Independent Review of the Mandatory Civil Legal Advice Gateway.’ The introduction of the mandatory CLA Gateway for Debt, Discrimination, and Special Educational Needs marked a major shift in the delivery of publicly funded legal advice. This briefing looks at