Opening address to PLP Wales conference 2017

The Counsel General talks to The Wales Bill , Brexit , Article 50 , the Miller Judgment and the Sewell Convention. This was recorded at the PLP Wales conferecne on 27 April 2017.

Home Office disclosure – efforts to reduce the numbers of Eritrean nationals granted asylum

Under the Freedom of Information Act , PLP , acting on behalf of a concerned individual , has obtained information from the Home Office which reveals that a visit by its officials to Eritrea in December 2014 was made in order to discuss reducing Eritrean migration to the UK.

PLP letter to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Following widespread concern about the key performance indicators used to monitor performance of the DWP’s Mandatory Reconsideration procedure , PLP has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to express its concern and request clarification.

PLP response to the Ministry of Justice consultation on Legal Aid Financial Eligibility and Universal Credit

This is PLP’s response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on proposed changes to financial eligibility for legal aid for Universal Credit claimants.

PLP Impact Report and Five Year Review 2012 to 2016

The report uses illustrative case studies and data analysis to summarise and explain:

PLP’s Legal Aid Support Project (LASP); Casework in welfare benefits , community care , and the Special Immigration and Appeal’s Commission (SIAC); PLP’s Justice First Fellows; Research and policy work; Training , conferences , resources , guides and publications … and the PLP community!

The report finishes with a summary of our recent strategic review and its results;

a re-articulation of our vision , mission and priorities more suited to current challenges.mission and priorities.

Legal Aid Exceptional Case Funding (‘ECF’): Applying without the assistance of an adviser or solicitor

It is possible to apply for ECF without help from a solicitor or adviser. Doing so is not easy but it is not impossible. This guide is intended to help you work out if this is something you want to do. If you decide that it is , it will hopefully help you apply successfully , but it is only an introduction and cannot answer every problem you might face.

PLP’s submission to Lord Justice Jackson’s review of fixed recoverable costs

PLP’s response addresses a number of issues , namely the lack of shared understanding of terminology , why judicial review is a ‘special case’ and PLP’s conclusions regarding ‘QOCS’.

Letter from PLP to the Lord Chancellor

‘We are writing further to your statement in Parliament earlier this month that you would shortly be announcing the timeline for the review of LASPO which the Government is committed to undertaking by April 2018. PLP welcomes the Government’s intention to conduct a review into the LASPO legal aid reforms which have had far reaching implications for access to justice in England and Wales.

We are taking the opportunity to write to you now with some suggestions as to the areas which the Government’s review should cover. This is a non-exhaustive list of areas of particular concern and which you will no doubt wish to consider in order to fully understand the implications for access to justice and the rule of law of the LASPO reforms , given your oath and statutory duties as Lord Chancellor.â€

Armed Drones and Judicial Review

The UK Government’s use of remotely-piloted armed Reaper drones to conduct lethal strikes abroad , without placing the operator at risk of injury or capture , has given rise to considerable concerns of legality , transparency and accountability. Armed drones are not prohibited weapons under international law. However , drone strikes raise serious legal issues , which differ depending on the circumstances in which strikes are carried out.

Judicial Review of the Regulators 2016

This paper accompanied a seminar looking at the application of judicial review principles to the regulators across a range of commercial sectors , focused on recent cases and also particular trends.

Applications to the Attorney-General and s13 of the Coroners Act 1988

There are essentially two ways in which a person may challenge the sufficiency of inquest proceedings or a decision by a coroner not to hold an inquest at all. The first and most obvious is by way of judicial review proceedings. The second is by way of a s13 application under the Coroners Act 1988.This paper will briefly consider the law and procedure pertaining to applications to the Attorney-General for a fiat and applications to the High Court pursuant to s13 of the Coroners Act 1988.

Investigatory Powers Bill, the Prevent duty, state secrecy and fundamental rights

On 11 October 2016 the IPB passed the report stage , which leaves only the third reading before royal assent. It is likely to become law in January 2017. The Bill is an unprecedented legislative assault on privacy. Although it is welcome in that it seeks to regulate what the authorities have been doing anyway without any formal legal basis , it contains incredibly far-reaching powers with insufficient oversight.