I Don’t Like Mondays 

I am on my first full office day in quite some time consequently there is quite a backlog of correspondence. It contains quite an interesting mix too: A notification of a Liaison visit which looks much more like a control audit. A successful Internal Review result (If you are going to do one talk to […]

Hello There 

Been away all week, and in hotels with no easy internet access (I must get the laptop set up to do this, currently don’t understand “wireless LAN” etc. myself) hence lack of activity here. Training engagements took me to Southampton and Cardiff and it was London yesterday for a CRB/CAC hearing regarding extrapolation and general […]

Has It Come to This? 

Northallerton is a fine Yorkshire market town. It has one of these, one of these and one of these. We have long established links with the town and know a little about this part of the County. I had intended to post a longer piece on this history following comments made by a delegate at […]

Mad Mad Mad World 

The LSC proposes a serious course of action against a firm, serious enough to jeopardise it’s ability to continue to deliver it’s contract. The firm, not surprisingly, objects. That objection is sustained by someone else at the commission. Leaving aside the time, expense and anxiety involved in all of this what about simple common sense. […]

Careers Advice 

I’ve had two conversations over the last week with solicitors leaving the profession, primarily out of frustration with what being a legal aid practitioner now entails. One is off to the bar the other to some other undisclosed project. The latter thanked me after yesterdays course as he felt it had “vindicated his decision”. I […]

A Bit of Good News 

Immediately below we asked about sample representativeness in PACE only CCAs. We now have an answer. There is no sampling tool and our understanding is that the first two 1C claims from each months CDS 6 returns will be selected. There will, therefore, be no statistical guarantee of representativeness. The up side of this? The […]

Back to the Hat 

We have spoken to the first “top 10%” club member to receive a request for 20 files for a PACE only CCA. My first thought remains, on what basis are these selected and how does this guarantee a representative sample? Perhaps we should ask.

Read All About It 

Plans for Civil Tailored Fixed Fees have been announced. At the same time the new legal aid minister has indicated that an “auction” of criminal contracts will take place in London in April 2006. (See Law Society Gazette 13th October – the story is not on their website at time of writing). Meanwhile the Carter […]

Industrial Dispute 

This is an issue we have discussed before. It now looks about to kick off. Did the CPS bottle it or refuse to cross a picket line? Via: Liz Isaacs Update The new legal aid minister thinks Barristers are “irresponsible”.

Just Following Orders? 

Lightning has struck twice. To be clear this is another “refusal of 100% enhancement” decision immediately overturned, without a word spoken in anger, at a CC. This time there was only one wasted journey (our cleint), but nonetheless, for him, this represents an afternoon lost to fee earning whilst regaining costs he was clearly entitled […]