Presidents Update

CLAR
On the 9^th February 2022, I was invited to appear at the All-party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid. I made representations to the Legal Aid Minister James Cartilage that the profession cannot wait while the Government considers its response to CLAR, and that we are losing significant numbers of our members daily and firms are struggling to remain viable and some are even having to shut down.

If the Government accepts the conclusions reached by Sir Christopher Bellamy in his report, then an instant cash injection is required now rather than in several months. The LCCSA along with the other representative bodies will continue to seek to persuade the government that they must act now.

The Law Society has published its recommendations for CLAR which you can access on the following link:

Fighting your corner: Criminal legal aid funding cannot wait | The Law Society

As members of the profession, you also have an opportunity to submit your own views on the proposals for early action; these can be submitted by accessing the link below:

Criminal legal aid review - proposals for early action (office.com)

Police Stations
It has come to my attention that some police stations are not complying with current guidance on PPE and as such I will raise this with the NPCC; I will update you once I have had a response.

Hesham Puri

LCCSA President