The procurement of criminal legal aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission


Book Description

There are risks to value for money from the way the Legal Services Commission (the LSC) administers and procures legal aid for criminal cases. In 2008-09, the Commission spent more than £1.1 billion on criminal legal aid - legal assistance for people suspected of or charged with a criminal offence. The LSC should do more to understand the market for criminal legal aid to make the most of its ability to control price and quality. In particular, while the Commission holds good information locally about its suppliers it does not bring this information together centrally. The LSC is undergoing a major transformation to reduce administrative costs and to improve effectiveness. The LSC has implemented some significant market reforms in the last few years, but it has not always piloted reforms or evaluated their impact, nor has it confirmed the financial savings generated. The NAO also found that the Commission is not always making accurate payments to solicitors for criminal legal aid, overpaying by £25 million in 2008-09. An NAO survey of solicitors has also revealed tensions in the relationship between the profession and the LSC.




The procurement of legal aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission


Book Description

The Legal Services Commission spends GBP 2.1 billion a year on buying civil and criminal legal aid, mainly from solicitors and barristers, and a further GBP 125 million on administration. This title reports confusion and uncertainty about the respective roles of the Commission and the Ministry of Justice.







Legal Aid Reform


Book Description

The legal aid system is one of the cornerstones of the post-war Welfare State, and since its creation nearly 60 years ago, it has enabled millions of people to access legal advice, support and representation; many of whom would otherwise have been denied access to justice because they could not have afforded to pay. However, the expectations and pressures faced by the legal aid system today are very different to those when it was created, and this document sets out the Government's proposals to reform the system to ensure its sustainability and effectiveness in contributing to the fight against social exclusion. These proposals follow on from three other documents: i) the Government's long-term strategy for legal aid 'A fairer deal for legal aid' published in July 2005 (Cm 6591, ISBN 0101659121); ii) the recommendations of the independent review of legal aid procurement undertaken by Lord Carter of Coles (details are available at www.legalaidprocurementreview.gov.uk/publications.htm) published in July 2006; and iii) a consultation paper jointly issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Legal Services Commission (details available at www.dca.gov.uk/consult/legal-aidsf/sustainable-future.htm) published in July 2006.




Financial management report 2011


Book Description

Financial management at the Ministry of Justice has improved considerably since the National Audit Office last examined this subject in 2010 (HC 187, ISBN 9780102965339). The Ministry now has effective governance structures in place and, in 2010-11, managed its money far more effectively, allowing it to redeploy funds to where they were most needed. Financial management is now much more central to the operation of the organisation and the quality and consistency of financial planning and forecasting have improved. Financial information for decision making is more relevant and useful, with the Ministry's planning work allowing it to bring together a wide range of business information to estimate the financial implications of its workload. It has also improved oversight of its arm's-length bodies. The Ministry still has gaps in financial reporting skills and some of its underlying systems need further improvement. It was one of only two government departments that failed to produce their financial accounts by the 2011 summer Parliamentary recess, mainly due to the accounts for the National Offender Management Service being produced late. The Legal Services Commission, an arm's-length body of the MOJ, had the audit opinion on its 2010-11 accounts qualified owing to the potential level of error, put at an estimated £50 million. There has also been little change in how the Ministry monitors and collects assets due under confiscation orders, with the amount of outstanding debt having increased by almost £400 million in 2010-11.




Media & Entertainment Law


Book Description

Media & Entertainment Law presents a contemporary analysis of the law relating to the media and entertainment industries both in terms of its practical application and its theoretical framework, providing a broad and comprehensive coverage of these fast changing branches of the law. Fully restructured to complement how media law is taught today in the digital age, this third edition explores recent updates in the law including the outcomes of the Google Spain case and the ‘right to be forgotten’, the use of drones in breach of privacy laws, internet libel and the boundaries of media freedom and press regulation following the Leveson inquiry. Media & Entertainment Law uses the most up-to-date authorities to explore privacy and confidentiality subjects, such as the Prince Charles 'black spider' letters, the Maximilian Schrems and the celebrity superinjunction PJS v Newsgroup Newspapers cases. The book also covers defamation, contempt of court and freedom of information, plus Scots law. New to this edition: A brand new chapter is dedicated to exploring technology and the media, including contemporary issues such as the dark web, the surveillance state, internet censorship and the law and social media, including bloggers, vloggers and tweeters. The chapters on regulatory authorities have been expanded to provide greater clarification and explanation of broadcasting, press and advertising regulation, including the protection of journalistic sources and comparisons with EU Law. The chapter on intellectual property and entertainment law has been streamlined to match media law courses more effectively. This text provides students with detailed coverage of the key principles, cases and legislation as well as a critical analysis of this vibrant subject.




Sessional returns


Book Description

On cover and title page: House, committees of the whole House, general committees and select committees




Evaluation of the Public Defender Service in England and Wales


Book Description

This report presents the findings of the independent evaluation of the Public Defender Service based on an evaluation of its work over the first three years of its existence, between 2001 and 2004. Chapter 1 sets out the policy background to the establishment of the PDS. Chapter 2 presents findings relating to the background of the clients and complexity of the cases. Chapter 3 compares the way the PDS and private criminal defence firms process cases. Chapter 4 contains findings on the quality of work; Chapter 5 analysis the time spent on cases. Chapter 6 reports on a survey on the effectiveness, quality, and independence of the PDS. Chapter 7 reports on a survey of experiences of working with the PDS.




Lawyers and the Public Good


Book Description

For the 2010 Hamlyn Lectures, Alan Paterson explores different facets of three key institutions in a democracy: lawyers, access to justice and the judiciary. In the case of lawyers he asks whether professionalism is now in terminal decline. To examine access to justice, he discusses past and present crises in legal aid and potential endgames and in relation to judges he examines possible mechanisms for enhancing judicial accountability. In demonstrating that the benign paternalism of lawyers in determining the public good with respect to such issues is no longer unchallenged, he argues that the future roles of lawyers, access to justice and the judiciary will only emerge from dialogues with other stakeholders claiming to speak for the public interest.




Sanders and Young's Criminal Justice


Book Description

'Sanders and Young's Criminal Justice' is an engaging account and a rigorous critique of the criminal justice system, drawing on a wide breadth of research in the field.