News Archive

The Criminal Law Solicitors‘ Association and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association welcome the High Court’s landmark judgment on Legal Aid funding and urge the Government to implement the full financial recommendation in the Bellamy review without delay...

The government have today published a consultation on Lower Crime Legal Aid Rates below. https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/crime-lower-consultation/ We will be considering the content and replying in detail in due course. We cautiously welcome...

Dear legal community The Ministry of Justice has launched a Call for Evidence on Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) on 8 January 2024. Local Criminal Justice System (CJS) partners are crucial to driving improvements across the system, and this Call for Evidence...

The Law Society Gazette By Monidipa Fouzder 14 December 2023

The Law Society are challenging the decisions of the Lord Chancellor not to implement the recommendations of the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review in full. The Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review was a government commissioned review into the state of the...

On 28th November the High Court held an interim hearing of the JR brought by the Law Society, with the CLSA as an interested party, against the failure to implement the Bellamy recommendations in full. At the hearing the Judge made it clear that he wanted to keep the...

The Law Society Gazette By Bianca Castro - 29th November 2023 https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/law-society-wins-disclosure-bid-before-legal-aid-challenge/5118051.article

I am a PhD (Law) student at Northumbria University, and as part of my PhD research I am gathering the opinions of criminal solicitors throughout England and Wales on new types of evidence we are beginning to see in Magistrate courts. These opinions are collected in...

CLSA response to Arrangements for SRA regulations of CILEX members Consultation

Letter from Nick Goodwin CEO to WICL 14 Nov 2023

womenincrimlawpolicy@gmail.com 13.11.23 DJMC.Denis.Brennan@ejudiciary.net Dear DJ Brennan Women in Criminal Law (WICL) has, this evening, been made aware of an announcement by HMCTS that Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court will be sitting with extended operating hours,...

The Law Society Gazette by Monidipa Fouzder 8 November 2023 Criminal defence solicitors have been told to hold the fort for a while longer after senior legal figures were told they are losing faith that the sector will be saved. Solicitors told a panel discussion at...

If you have already obtained your Court ID Card which is due to expire on the 1st December 2024  you can renew it here

On 1 October 2023, two new guidelines from the Sentencing Council for sentencing offenders convicted of interfering with the administration of justice will come into effect. The guidelines cover two offences: perverting the course of justice contrary to common law;...

Arrangements for the EGM on 6.10 2023 have been changed . The EGM will now take place on Thursday 2nd November 2023 at 2pm as per the notice NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING Our AGM is arranged alongside our Annual Conference in York on 3rd November 2023. In advance of the...

I hereby give notice that the Annual General Meeting of the Criminal Law Solicitors' Association will be held on Friday 3rd November at 12:45 Kerry Morgan, CLSA Hon. Secretary AGENDA 1. Apologies for Absence 2. Treasurer's Report and approval of Annual Accounts 3....

Just before the beginning of the new legal year, now is a good point for solicitors to take stock on updates from the High Court and Court of Appeal on issues relevant to practice. Click here to read Attribution. Tobias Collins, Pupil Barrister, Deans Court Chambers

Effective from: 01 October 2023 The Sentencing Council has published two sentencing guidelines for offenders convicted of perverting the course of justice and witness intimidation offences in England and Wales following consultation. The two guidelines cover two...

On 1 July 2023, a number of new and revised guidelines from the Sentencing Council will come into effect. REVISED ANIMAL CRUELTY GUIDELINES Two sentencing guidelines for sentencing offenders convicted of animal cruelty offences to reflect changes introduced by...

The Law Society has been granted permission on all three grounds. On 22 June, the high court granted the Law Society permission to bring a judicial review challenge against the government. The application for permission was made after the government failed to increase...

BBC News, By Dominic Casciani, Home and legal correspondent There are "defence deserts" in parts of England and Wales because lawyers have been quitting the profession, BBC News has been told. The warning comes as the Law Society, which represents criminal solicitors,...

The Sentencing Council has published 12 new and revised sentencing guidelines for offenders convicted of motoring offences in response to consultation. The guidelines include updated versions of six current guidelines – published in 2008 – and reflect new maximum...

The Sentencing Council has today published, in accordance with section 120 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, a revised Totality guideline which will come into effect on 1 July 2023. This follows a consultation held from October 2022 to January 2023. The Totality...

Government response to Legal Aid Means Test Review - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Sentencing Council has published two guidelines for sentencing animal cruelty offences to reflect changes introduced by Parliament in the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, following consultation. The first guideline – Animal cruelty – is new and covers the...

SENTENCING GUIDELINES COMING INTO EFFECT ON 1 APRIL 2023 On 1 April 2023, a number of new and revised guidelines from the Sentencing Council will come into effect. 1. UPDATED CHILD CRUELTY SENTENCING GUIDELINES Sentencing guidelines for offenders convicted of child...

Please join us for a free, in-person training event delivered by leading expert practitioners on Saturday, 13 May 2023, 9.30-4.30, in central London (location to be confirmed). Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) is a lawyer-led charity focused on challenging failings...

The Sentencing Council has today published a response to the second annual consultation on miscellaneous amendments to sentencing guidelines. The response document sets out the changes that will be made to guidelines on the Sentencing Council website...

The Sentencing Council has today published revisions to the sentencing guidelines for child cruelty offences which will come into effect on 1 April 2023. This follows consultation between August and October last year. The revised guidelines reflect the recent changes...