The Sentencing Council has today published, in accordance with section 120 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, revised definitive guidelines to be used by the Crown Court and magistrates’ courts in England and Wales when sentencing terrorism offences. This follows...
News
Campaigning for fairness in criminal lawCLSA Open Meeting – Friday 15th July 2022
The Bar strike action is now in its third week, and absent any change of heart on behalf of either the government or the CBA, it may last for some time. Meanwhile the Government have brought forward proposals based upon its response to the CLAR report. The...
Legal Aid dispute – CLSA Guide
As the dispute between barristers, solicitors and government over its failure to put Legal Aid and the Criminal Justice System in a sustainable footing continues and is escalated, clients and solicitors are being placed in a invidious position. Recent announcements by...
The immediate increase must be 15% across all cases
The CLSA note the intention of the Ministry of Justice to increase fees for work in the Magistrates Court and Police Station by 15% from the end of September. The proposal is that Litigator Graduated Fees, which represent the largest single category of most firms’...
Revised sentencing guidelines for burglary offences and child sexual offences come into effect on 1 July 2022
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/crown-court/item/sexual-communication-with-a-child-effective-from-1-july-2022/ https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/revised-sentencing-guidelines-for-child-sexual-offences-published/...
CLSA Statement on the CBA Strike Action
The Criminal Justice System is in crisis. The significant backlog of cases in the Magistrates and the Crown Court predated Covid-19 but has been exacerbated by it. The reduction of that backlog will require committed hard work by barristers, solicitors (both...
CBA have announced that their members have voted in favour of further action
You will all know by now that the CBA have announced that their members have voted in favour of further action. They have issued amended guidance and a pro forma letter to solicitors which can be viewed here. CBA guidance regarding their action The bar action is...
The Law Society Response to independent review of criminal legal aid
TLS response
Response of the CLSA to the Government Response to the CLAIR Consultation on Policy Proposals
To read the CLSA response click here