Client account roundtables offer more questions than answers on the future of legal aid funding
Recently run roundtables to discuss the option of funding access to justice through interest on client account, first previewed in The Law Society Gazette, have created more questions than answers according to attendees. In July it was reported Legal Aid providers were invited to a series of roundtables to discuss the future of legal aid, […]
New measures to tackle ‘honour-based’ abuse
New statutory guidance and a legal definition of ‘honour’-based abuse is to be introduced to provide greater protection for victims say the government. 2,755 ‘honour’-based abuse related offences were recorded by the police in England and Wales according to recently published statistics; including ‘honour’-motivated killings, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. A new definition […]
Dash assessment “doesn’t work” says Safeguarding Minster
The Government’s Safeguarding Minster Jess Phillips has admitted the Domestic, Abuse, Stalking, Harassment and Honour-Based Violence (DASH) assessment, used to decide which victims of domestic abuse get urgent support, doesn’t work in a recently published podcast on the BBC. ‘File on 4 Investigates’ reviews the effectiveness of the Dash Assessment; which is one of the […]
Tickets available for fourth annual Domestic Abuse Conference
The fourth year of a conference considering the impact of domestic abuse on family law practitioners and professionals from across the family community will return for its fourth year in Bristol. Watkins Solicitors is to hosted its annual Domestic Abuse Conference on Friday 7th November at the Watershed, Bristol with tickets on sale now. The […]
Higgs strikes private equity deal with view to expansion
Midlands law firm Higgs has secured backing from August Equity, making it the first legal firm in the investor’s 48-strong portfolio. The Dudley-based firm, established in the Black Country in 1875, has 28 partners, 250 employees and a reported turnover of £20 million in the year to November 2023. Last year, Higgs acquired insolvency boutique […]
High Court dismisses Zimbabwe return bid: access rights not “rights of custody” under Hague Convention
The High Court has refused a father’s application for the return of his 11‑year‑old son to Zimbabwe, holding that his court‑ordered contact amounted to access rather than rights of custody and so the removal was not “wrongful” for Hague Convention purposes. F v L & Ors EWHC 2190 (Fam) concerned T, born in 2014. The […]