The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) introduced the Public Defenders Bill for First Reading in Parliament today. The Bill, when enacted, will provide for the establishment of the Public Defender’s Office as a department under MinLaw to administer criminal legal aid. The bill provides for the appointment of a Chief Public Defender and outlines the scope…
New vision for a legal aid system in The Netherlands
NovA, the Dutch Bar, alongside the Mediators Federation of the Netherlands (MfN) and the Council for Legal Aid (RvR) outlined their vision for a new legal aid system. The three organisations are working together for a people-oriented, effective and efficient system. The new system would be one in which the citizen and his or her (legal)…
The legal Aid Board in the Netherlands is to begin a subsidy scheme experiment for divorce cases
The legal Aid Board in the Netherlands will begin a subsidy scheme experiment for complex divorce cases. The scheme will begin in February 2022 with the aim of uncovering how best to assist litigants in complex divorce cases, with a view to providing high quality legal aid assistance after an appropriate fee has been agreed….
The legal Aid Board in the Netherlands is to begin a subsidy scheme experiment for divorce cases
The legal Aid Board in the Netherlands will begin a subsidy scheme experiment for complex divorce cases. The scheme will begin in February 2022 with the aim of uncovering how best to assist litigants in complex divorce cases, with a view to providing high quality legal aid assistance after an appropriate fee has been agreed….
New Zealand sees first pro-bono legal portal open
The New Zealand Ministry of Justice has funded NZ’s first pro-bono portal, connecting lawyers with people in need of legal assistance. Te Ara Ture is New Zealand’s first pro-bono legal service aimed at helping Kiwi’s who cannot normally afford to enlist the help of legal professionals. The software takes referrals from the community and through…
Legal-aid bill assessment shake up in the UK paused by Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice in the United Kingdom has shelved plans to stop legal-aid bills from being court assessed and bring them inhouse. Under the current system legal-aid practitioners can choose to have bills between £2,500 and £25,000 assessed by the courts or the Legal Aid Agency. Under the new scheme the Ministry of Justice wanted…
Law Society of Scotland to manage new legal aid trainee fund
On the 3rd of June the Scottish Government launched a new £1 million fund to support legal aid traineeships in Scotland, the fund and application will be managed by the Law Society of Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. The fund will provide support for up to 40 new legal aid trainees, paying for…
State Bar of California provides grants to twenty legal services organizations to hire provisionally licensed lawyers
The State Bar of California has selected the first 20 legal services organizations which will receive grants to hire provisionally licensed lawyers (PLLs) in 2021–2022. The grant-giving programme is designed to allow legal aid organisations to augment their staff, and is part of the Bar’s ongoing effort to address unmet legal need amongst low-income Californians,…
Law Society of New South Wales launches free legal assistance to those impacted by bushfires
The Law Society of New South Wales, in partnership with Legal Aid NSW, community legal centres, Justice Connect and the NSW Bar Association has launched the NSW Government’s Disaster Response Legal Service, which will provide free legal assistance to those affected by the tragic bushfires in NSW. Richard Harvey, the President of the Law Society said: “In…