Government shares details of cohabitation consultation, with three key areas of reform
The government has shared details of its long-awaited consultation on reforming cohabitation rights, which is open now and will run for 10 weeks until 14th August. The consultation will look at three key areas of reform: financial remedies on divorce and dissolution, protecting cohabitants on separation, and provision for cohabitants in cases of intestacy. Each of […]
‘Polluter pays’ model could see firms pay £1500 to settle complaints escalated to LeO
A “wide-ranging” consultation on the Legal Ombudsman’s Scheme Rules has been launched to tackle what the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) has described as a response to “unprecedented levels of demand.” Driven by a 37% increase in demand in the last year alone, the Changes to Scheme Rules, case fees, and the publication of ombudsman […]
Gender bias and victim-blaming found in majority of family court judgments, report reveals
A report showing the majority of judgments in the family court contain gender bias and victim-blaming was presented to MPs in Parliament this week. Right to Equality’s Scratching the Surface report contains analysis of 91 family court judgments, revealing that 72.5% contained at least one instance of judicial victim‐blaming. Of the 530 instances of victim‑blaming […]
Surrogacy and reproductive law ‘shouldn’t be lumped together’ – Baroness Deech
Necessary reform of the “technical gaps” and “insufficient regulatory powers” around surrogacy and reproductive law may not be resolvable in one statute, according to Baroness Ruth Lynn Deech. Addressing the House of Lords last week, the former chairwoman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)said: “The HFEA itself acknowledges that, while much of the […]
DSIT launches AI Growth Lab to target legal services innovation
The Legal Services Board (LSB) and Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) will play key roles in the newly established AI Growth Lab, a government-led advisory sandbox intended to accelerate the development and deployment of AI products and services. Legal services is the first sector to participate in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) […]
New jurisdictional guidance for remote participation in the family courts
The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has published updated remote participation guidance for the Civil and Family courts following a cross-jurisdictional review of the use of remote participation in proceedings to ensure there is proper consideration of access to justice and the interests of justice. Two documents have been produced: Judicial Remote Participation Principles, aimed at promoting consistency […]