I picked up this article, from a “tweet” by friend of this site Nick Armstrong. It is by Martha Spurrier of the Public Law Project and, somewhat depressingly, reports very low numbers of Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) applications since the LASPO changes. She also comments on the administrative barrier it represents. Do read the whole article however if you are looking for the inescapable conclusion;
Any attempts to justify further cuts to legal aid on the basis that exceptional funding protects access to justice should be dismissed: this is a new scheme that is not, and may never be, fit for purpose.
This mirrors our own anecdotal evidence. We are trying to keep a register of ECF decisions, positive and negative, if you have any please forward them.
