Criminal defence solicitors
Law Society president Richard Atkinson writes in the Mirror about the crisis facing the criminal justice system.
He said: “The hard work and dedication of all those who work in the criminal justice system has helped maintain a semblance of justice despite the system being stretched to breaking point, as the Prime Minister has recognised. However, eventually the impact of decades of underinvestment and cuts hits home.
“You can see it in the prison spaces crisis and the need for this early release scheme. It is evident by looking at the crumbling state of courts across England and Wales. You can see it by the exodus of solicitors and barristers from the profession. It is demonstrated by the huge backlogs of cases in our criminal courts with years and years between crimes being committed and trials taking place.
“Victims, witnesses and defendants are left in limbo, their anguish increased by justice being delayed. It is clear the public care about justice, in the same way they care about other public services, judging by the reaction to miscarriages of justice such as the wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson and the Post Office scandal.”
Sentencing review
Derbyshire Live, Nottinghamshire Live, Leicester Mercury and the Gazette Ireland continue coverage of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s major review of sentencing to mitigate the prison overcrowding crisis. The review will be led by former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke.
"It is high time for an examination of alternatives to the use of custody, which is an expensive and often counterproductive form of punishment,” said Law Society president Richard Atkinson.
“For the government’s plans to work, the whole criminal-justice system needs to be appropriately funded – including defence solicitors.”
AI and the legal profession
BBC News examines the impact of AI on businesses, including the legal sector. Also, in Yahoo News and 9 more outlets.
It notes that we have acknowledged that lawyers need better support from law firm leaders to make the most of new technology like AI.
Law Society president Richard Atkinson said: “While AI and new technologies can make legal work more efficient by automating routine tasks, they can also create more work for lawyers, not less,” says president Richard Atkinson.
“Learning to use these tools takes time and lawyers often need to undertake training and adapt their work processes. Many technologies were not originally designed for the legal sector, which can make the transition more challenging.”
Internewscast Journal also that judges in England and Wales have been given cautious approval to use AI in writing legal opinions.
Lord Justice Birss told our Dispute Resolution conference in 2023: “I asked ChatGPT can you give me a summary of this area of law, and it gave me a paragraph. I know what the answer is because I was about to write a paragraph that said that, but it did it for me and I put it in my judgment. It’s there and it’s jolly useful.”
Market access fund
UK Times and 5 more media outlets report that Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will announce the new £2.3 million Regulatory Partnership for Growth Fund as part of a three-day visit to Brazil, which will include his first G20 meeting. The fund builds on the Prime Minister’s call at the International Investment Summit last week for UK regulators to support the Government’s growth mission, keep pace with emerging industries and upgrade the regulatory regime to make it fit for the modern age.
Richard Atkinson, President of The Law Society England and Wales said: “The Law Society of England and Wales appreciates the government’s initiative to establish the Regulatory Partnership for Growth Fund.
“This funding will provide essential support to UK businesses by helping them move past regulatory barriers in various global markets.
“By building closer relationships with countries overseas, this fund will contribute to the growth and progression of the legal profession globally.”
Criminal legal aid
The UK government has been warned by 119 criminal law firms not to mistake their submitting an application for a new legal aid contract for an intention actually to sign it, according to Legal Futures.
Earlier this month, we advised criminal legal aid firms to carry out viability reviews to determine whether they were able continue to provide services, and if they were, “whether scaling back is necessary.”
Neurodiversity
Emma Barlett and Wonu Sanda from CM Murray write about why law firms should embrace neurodiversity in the Global Legal Post.
They cite that in 2018, the Law Society acknowledged that “recognising and supporting this diversity is important to the legal sector”; ignoring it means potentially losing out on highly skilled talent.
Climate guidance
The Chancery Lane Project examines the intersection of law, climate and nature action.
It cites our climate guidance, which it says has been well received, adding: “But it has its limitations. While legal professionals are being taught what the guidance says, there’s a gap in understanding how it affects their day-to-day work. As one participant noted, the guidance covers the ‘what’, but not the ‘so what?’
“This highlights an immediate need for more practical, sector-specific training on how to apply the guidance in various practice areas, particularly those with significant climate and nature impacts.
Read our climate change guidance
Also worth a read:
- Four solicitors join Justice Select Committee – Gazette
- Autumn Budget: Reeves confirms deals struck with all departments – BBC News
- Lady Chief Justice accuses PM of politicising courts – Independent
- Post Office and Axiom Ince: SRA says it’s too early to say when prosecutions will begin – Legal Futures
- Post Office Horizon scandal: Boards “need to oversee legal risk,” says IoD – Legal Futures
- SLAPP tribunal will hear evidence of Nadhim Zahawi threat – Gazette
- SRA can’t confirm timeline for SQE provider pass rates – Legal Cheek
- SRA research shows trust in legal services is high – Legal Futures
- City law firms raise fees by 40% – Telegraph (£) & Legal Cheek