Oh dear. The LSC claims an 85% sign up rate to the unified contract. Assuming that this is accurate, this seems to me to fall into the hinterland of bad, but not bad enough to stop the roll-out. In fact, it is pretty much the precise point where the LSC can argue the shortfall will be made up by remaining firms taking on more, but also where this will, in reality, present severe difficulties.
The figure is the headline national rate, as I suggested would be given. I don’t think the headline rate will tell the whole story. It appears that specific areas will likely have a significantly lower take up.
As to what will happen in those areas (which I suspect will include areas with a concentration of deprivation) we will have to wait and see. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were quiet discussions around the idea that late signings might be accepted. But some excellent firms are lost.
But if the LSC’s figures are right, then it is now down the the Law Society’s Judicial Review.