Tag Archive for 'Legal Aid'

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Law Soc JR: Some details

I have some details of the Law Society v Legal Services Commission judicial review judgment. Can’t reveal my source but they were close to the action. [edited 01/10/2010 - some corrections]

The JR was won on the issue of the significance given to panel memberships and the notification of that significance only. The wider argument on the equality duty and a failure to undertake a sufficient impact assessment wasn’t decided upon.

The LSC had raised delay as an issue, arguing that the publication of the criteria was the relevant point. The Court found that the proper date was the release of the results, but if that were wrong, they would … Read the full post

Law Society v LSC newsflash

Result out this afternoon. The Law Society won their JR of the Family tender process. No details yet – more as and when. But things are going to be very interesting.

Who bets on current contracts extended till April 2011 while Ken readies his axe?… Read the full post

On the CLP judicial review…

People may recall that the Community Law Partnership’s judicial review of the LSC was listed for an adjourned hearing on 8 September. We have had the following statement from CLP which is given as is. We’ve been asked to note that CLP will not be making any further comment. After reading the statement and between the lines, I’m not sure any further comment is needed…

COMMUNITY LAW PARTNERSHIP AWARDED SOCIAL WELFARE CONTRACT

On 21st July the Legal Services Commission (LSC) informed us that we had failed to obtain a Social Welfare Law (SWL) contract to start on 14th October 2010. Since SWL is all we do this would have meant … Read the full post

LSC: goalposts aren’t moved, just very bendy

Sorry. After a moment when it looked like we might get back to housing law, the LSC has interrupted again. And it is almost as if the LSC reads NL!

Following our post here on the LSC’s statement in version 2 of its FAQ for the verification exercise on ‘not being able to do the number of matter starts bid for’ and which amounted to “Oops, have you overbid? Come here, you silly, give us a hug and we’ll make it alright by dropping your requirements”, the LSC has been fiddling with its FAQs again.

The answer to Question 3.2 in version 6(!) of the FAQ, released today (1 … Read the full post

The CLP challenge considered.

[Edit 27/08/10 An early version of this post said that the JR had been given permission. This was wrong. The hearing was actually adjourned to 8 September without permission having formally been given. Apologies for my error. I've edited the post to correct this.]

[Edit 2. I have been contacted by CLP to ask me to say that CLP will not be commenting while the case is ongoing, as it would not be proper for them to do so. They also ask that people do not contact CLP directly about the case in the meantime.]

So, what actually happened in the hearing of Community Legal Partnership’s application for judicial review? … Read the full post

“Irrational” Welfare tender newsflash

Hot on the heels of the last post comes this news of a Judicial Review permission hearing on an application by friends of the blog, Community Law Partnership, against the LSC.

Choice quotes from Collins J

“I am bound to say this is a dreadful decision and on the face of it the approach [taken by the LSC] is totally irrational”

“How can it be rational to penalise a firm that takes fewer cases to the upper tribunal, when any decent firm will do its best to make sure it doesn’t have to appeal?”

“Those tendering are entitled to take the view that access to justice criteria will be taken … Read the full post

Of contracts, shifting goalposts and lawfulness

[Edit 01/09/2010. There has been a further change to the FAQ discussed in this post. See the new post here]

Bear with me. This is going to be a bumpy ride.

The LSC’s terms of tender for civil contracts stated

Paragraph 15.11: “For a tender to be complete, the Applicant Organisation must, prior to the deadline, submit a tender consisting of (1) a response to the PQQ and (2) a response to an ITT (including the Mandatory Form).”
Paragraph 15.13: “The Applicant Organisation must not amend or alter any document comprising part of the tender after the deadline”
Paragraph 15.37: “The Applicant Organisation agrees to keep any tender valid … Read the full post



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