Was it a progressive discussion about boosting pro bono and One Nation values, or an opportunistic attempt to tap the commercial legal profession to fill a funding gap? Or both?

That remains unclear to many of the participants in a packed meeting on Monday (26 October) morning at Clifford Chance’s (CC) Canary Wharf offices between justice secretary Michael Gove (pictured) and a group of leading commercial law firms amid plans floated by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to impose some form of levy on City law firms to fund the courts.

Continue reading “Pro bono, confusion and funding gaps – mixed messages as Gove meets City firms to discuss a law firm levy”

New Justice secretary Michael Gove is set for a tussle with City lawyers after floating a plan to impose a multi-million pound tax on commercial law firms to pay for the abolition of a controversial criminal court charge on guilty defendants.

Continue reading “So much for the Global Law Summit – Gove floats £60m-plus tax on City law firms to fund criminal courts”

While UK Prime Minister David Cameron has led a recent attack over judicial review decisions and the cost of the process, a new report has found that restrictions to legal aid have harmed the process, judicial review itself has led to improved services by public bodies and clarified the law in 86% of cases.

Continue reading “Value added: report rebuffs presumptions about judicial review”