The Legal Services Consumer Panel has issued a report titled “Regulatory Leadership on Access to Justice”, prepared by Nottingham Law School. This report discusses how legal services regulators in England and Wales can play a more active and strategic role in addressing the ongoing challenges surrounding access to justice. It emphasises that access to justice is increasingly under threat due to a combination of factors, including reduced legal aid funding, the complexity and high cost of navigating the legal system, low levels of legal capability among the public, and a general lack of trust in legal institutions.
The report argues that regulators should not view access to justice as solely the responsibility of government or the charitable sector. Instead, they should see it as a fundamental regulatory objective and use their powers and influence to lead systemic change. Drawing from empirical research and interviews with stakeholders both domestically and internationally, the report highlights the barriers that prevent effective legal service delivery and stresses the importance of people-centred, inclusive, and innovative solutions.
Examples from jurisdictions such as Australia and Canada are used to show how regulators elsewhere have taken proactive steps, such as supporting new service models, collaborating with other sectors, funding access initiatives, and promoting legal empowerment. The report concludes by urging regulators in England and Wales to adopt a more coordinated, strategic, and evidence-based approach to regulation, underpinned by a clear commitment to enhancing access to justice across the board.
In doing so, the report puts forward a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at embedding access to justice within the regulatory framework, encouraging innovation, and ensuring that legal services better meet the needs of all individuals, particularly those currently underserved.
Read the full story here. (PDF)