The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) has released a report on the Faculty of Advocates’ conduct complaint handling process, describing it as overly complex and difficult for lay complainers to navigate. This complexity, the report suggests, is likely to cause confusion and frustration thus undermining public confidence. The SLCC has suggested five improvements for the…
Proposal for a limited practice rule to narrow North Carolina’s access to justice gap
The North Carolina Supreme Court and State Bar are urged to explore a limited practice rule to allow certified paralegals and unlicensed law school graduates to provide limited legal services. This proposal aims to enhance access to affordable legal assistance while protecting the public interest and addressing the widening access to justice gap. The access…
Auto clubs and the lost origins of the access-to-justice crisis
Engstrom, N. F., & Stone, J. (2024). Auto clubs and the lost origins of the access-to-justice crisis Yale Law Journal, Forthcoming. In the early 1900s, the country’s 1,100 automobile clubs did far more than provide the roadside assistance, maps, and towing services familiar to AAA members of today. Auto clubs also provided, free to their…
People centred justice initiative in Kenya attempts to bridge the access to justice gap
Pathfinders, an access to justice umbrella civil society organisation based at New York University has published a report on Kenya’s alternative justice system. The global justice gap affects billions worldwide, with 4.5 billion people lacking access to legal opportunities, and 1.5 billion facing unresolved legal issues. A shift toward people-centred justice acknowledges the inadequacy of…
Law Society of Ontario hosts 8th annual access-to-justice week
The eighth annual Access to Justice Week (A2J Week) in Ontario, held from October 23 to 27, marked the “10th anniversary of Canada’s Justice Development Goals.” The event showcased over 30 virtual and in-person programs, attracting more than 3000 participants nationwide. Focused on reviewing a decade of progress and setting goals for the future, the…
Designing Just Solutions at Scale: Lawyerless Legal Services and Evidence-Based Regulation
Burnett, M., & Sandefur, R. L. (2022). Designing Just Solutions at Scale: Lawyerless Legal Services and Evidence-Based Regulation. Direito Público, 19(102). Around the world, billions of people lack access to justice, often because they cannot access help in resolving their justice issues. An important reason for this is that many access models rely centrally on lawyers, and…
Access to justice and legal services regulatory reform
Sandefur, R. L., & Denne, E. (2022). Access to justice and legal services regulatory reform. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 18, 27-42. Researchers have launched a new era of studies exploring relationships between legal services regulation and access to justice. These scholarly developments respond to recent changes in how Anglo-American jurisdictions regulate the practice of…
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner issues access to justice policy statement
The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner has issued an access to justice policy statement. This policy statement is a statement of intent, articulating the VLSB+Cs role in supporting access to justice. The Policy statement notes the role of the VLSB+Cs as a regulator, funder and investor in access to justice, as well as providing…
A Solicitors Regulation Authority report has found unbundling legal services could improve access to justice
A Solicitors Regulation Authority Report has found that unbundling legal services could make legal help more affordable for those on low incomes and increase the client base for law firms. Unbundling is a process where the tasks that make up a service are divided between the consumer and provider, allowing clients to carry out some…
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales publishes the Legal Choices Report 2022
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales has published the Legal Choices report for 2022. Legal Choices is a website that helps consumers make informed decisions when choosing a legal professional, as well as offering information on a range of legal topics such as legal aid, no win no fee and legal insurance. The…