This is a very shortened version of an article by John Pring in the Disability News Service, 17 May 2017.
We are delighted to be able to offer a 12-month employed pupillage as part of a two-year Justice First Fellowship.
PLP’s Director Jo Hickman has been shortlisted for ‘Legal Personality of the Year’ at the prestigious Solicitor’s Journal Awards.
Katy Watts, PLP’s first Justice First Fellow and now a qualified solicitor at the Public Law Project gives an illuminating interview to Legal Voice.
We are very happy to announce that PLP’s Director, Jo Hickman, has been shortlisted for a prestigious legal award.
We are delighted to see that the Government has brought in changes to the evidence requirements for legal aid for family cases so as to remove the time limit on evidence, and to include statements from domestic violence organisations.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, PLP, acting on behalf of an individual, has obtained information from the Home Office which reveals that a visit by its officials to Eritrea in December 2014 was made with the specific objective of securing a reduction in the grant rate of Eritrean asylum claims, which at the time was over 85%.
The Bach Commission on Access to Justice has today published its interim report into legal aid. PLP submitted evidence to the Commission, which has found that individuals are being denied access to justice and that LASPO has produced a “crisis in the justice system”. The report identifies a number of factors that have contributed to this, including the failings of the exceptional funding scheme and the gateway telephone service.
PLP is concerned about the accessibility of the Home Office disregard scheme and appeal process, which does not appear to be meeting its intended aim of allowing the thousands of men in this situation get convictions removed from their records.
The Legal Aid Agency has this week conceded that it must not ‘seek to rely on the clause to stifle criticism of, or challenges to, the Legal Aid Agency, the Lord Chancellor, or wider government.’
Public Law Project has outlined serious concerns on behalf of clients about the LAA’s new ’embarrassment clause’. The LAA has introduced the clause in its latest standard crime contract tender and it may be incorporated into civil contracts. Breach can lead to sanctions or contract termination, as is considered ‘proportionate’.
The Public Law Project is pleased to announce that Sara Lomri will be joining us as our Deputy Legal Director. Sara will take up the newly created post in November.