In this powerful piece, CLA President Steven Thiru warns of the growing threats to the independence of the legal profession globally. He underscores that an independent Bar is essential to upholding justice and the rule of law, serving as a safeguard against executive overreach and ensuring access to justice for all—particularly in contentious or politically…
Regulatory leadership on access to justice
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…
Consumer vulnerability in the legal market
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published the findings of research it commissioned from the University of South Wales, examining consumer vulnerability in the legal market. The study aimed to identify practical tools to help the legal sector better serve vulnerable consumers and improve access to justice. However, rather than recommending a risk-based model similar…
Singapore passes legal amendments to combat “lawfare”
New measures to prevent the abuse of Singapore’s court processes through excessive or egregious litigation (“lawfare”) have been enacted through amendments to the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act (AOJPA), which came into force on 28 January 2025. The amendments explicitly define contempt of court to include knowingly deceiving the court, filing baseless claims, and initiating…
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission makes recommendations for the Faculty of Advocates complaints handling
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…