This committee was created in January 2012 prior to the implementation of the LASPO Act. Its main remit is to look at access to legal advice and assistance particularly to those who are of limited means. The Committee encourages pro bono initiatives and organises conferences and forums involving private sector lawyers, third sector agencies providing legal advice such as Citizens Advice and law centres, local universities’ law clinics, local authorities from the Liverpool City Region, and members of the local judiciary. The Committee also inputs into the agenda of Liverpool Law Society’s directors’ twice-yearly meetings with local councillors and MPs.
It has a membership of solicitors in private practice and third sector agencies including local university law clinics. It meets every couple of months, and has been meeting online which is likely to continue to be the format going forward.
The Society feels there is still a continuing role for lobbying, particularly to elected representatives, and the meetings enable the Directors of the Society to highlight areas of injustice as they arise with a view to arguing for the re-opening of access to Legal Aid in the future.
Joint Forum on Access to Justice
In 2015, it was decided to set up a Joint Forum on Access to Justice (originally known as the Joint Forum on Access to Advice). The initial aim of the Forum was to create an arena where those advice giving bodies who were primarily affected by the cuts in Legal Aid that came into effect in April 2013 could meet and seek to bridge gaps between need and provision of advice. The Forum covers civil, family and social welfare law. The Forum has sought to co-ordinate efforts in providing advice across the six local authority areas covered by the Liverpool Law Society (Liverpool, St Helens, Wirral, Halton, Sefton and Knowsley) and continues to meet twice a year.
Organisations who have spoken at the Joint Forum include:
Access to Justice Foundation
Bar Pro Bono Unit
CA Liverpool
Cheshire West CA
Citizens Advice (national)
Clinical Commissioning Group for Liverpool
Equality and Employment Law
Halton CA
Law Centres Network
Law for Life
LCVS
Legal Aid Agency
Litigants in Person Support Strategy
Liverpool CA
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool Law Society
LJMU
LLS past president
Merseyside Law Centre
Sefton Council
Shelter
The Law Society
The Network for Justice
University of Liverpool
Vauxhall Law Centre
Wirral CA
And the topics covered at the Joint Forum by the speakers, include:
Access to Justice Foundations’ grants work with the MOJ
Bid-writing – an update and top tips
Citizens Advice LCR innovative services
Citywide Strategy Group for Fairness & Tackling Poverty update including UC funding
CLOCK project update
Cumulative Impact Study & Unmet Legal Need Study
E & HRC – LASPO review evidence to be submitted by University of Liverpool Law Clinic on family, welfare and employment in Liverpool
Forward Planning & positive initiatives from the LAA
Fundraising activities
Housing need in our communities and working towards system change
Joint Liverpool Council & University of Liverpool project
University of Liverpool Law Clinic update
LIPs in the Family courts
Litigants in Person Network
Merseyside Law Centre (MLC) update including Justice First Fellow (LEF)
National update from the Law Society
Overview of funding for LIPs for PSU, LawWorks, Royal Courts of Justice and Law for Life
Pro Bono update
Pro-Bono and CSR Match-making for the legal event (by LLS) report
Refugees and Asylum work update – Our Liverpool
Response from local authorities on LCR mapping exercise
Social Prescribing
The Law Society’s Pro Bono roundtable meetings
Update from Liverpool City Council’s Revenues and Benefits team
Update on Network for Justice including online forum for this group